fab yoga class

My favourite class of the week to date

My Saturday morning yoga class is amazing..the instructor is an amazing young woman who just inspires me.

Before I get their I am my usual hyped up individual, always rushing round, chasing my tail, ( even if I do get up at stupid oclock ) and always on the go.....

that is until I get into my Yoga class and this morning was no exception.

Little bit of chat with the class members about the forthcoming yoga work shop before the class starts leaves us all feeling a little excited and curious.

But soon we are right into the class with a few slow deep breaths to begin our class and ease us into the practise....

I have noticed of late how much quicker I get into the moment...

. The instructor reminds us that it is our practise and not to compete with others in  the class...(one of my pet habits in the past...sure, I'm still very competitive, but I dont tend to watch others int he class now, I try to focus on what I am doing and just to compete with myself, improving my own practise )

This is really good advice as we are all different, with different body shapes, some more flexible than others, and all bringing to the class different issues, all of which can hamper or aid the practise.  What might be good for us to do on one day, may not be good on another day.....

So I always try to treat each practise with a fresh outlook...I do my best..I be he best I can be....

But as our instructor reminds us ( she refers to Ahimsa, one of the 5 Yamas, Non-violent/non harming, and that means to our selves also )...we also have to be kind to ourselves..if we need to take a break..that is ok.... we can resume when it is good for us..( that is not to say that we shouldnt push ourselves to try to be better..it means that it has to be balanced.....and the fact that we are present in the practise means we want to be the best we can ) 

It is an intense class with lots of asanas I havnt practised for a while, I feel invigorated, and strong, and somewhat stretched!!!!

The class ends all too soon... with 10 minutes savasana/meditation..and opportunity to relax my body and mind and to give thanx that i am able to take part in my yoga practise....

yoga class ..its been ages

After 10 days of  not doing a yoga class....

 fotos by chardonnay

Our holidays are over and its back to normality/reality

some of the things that we come back to I'm sure are not always welcome!!

all that washing..ironing...cleaning...etc

sunshine ...sea...cocktails are now just beautiful memories...

seeing our loved ones and being in places we feel familiar with, I'm sure are some of the things we feel happy coming back to....

for me, getting back to my exercise routine, is also really important....especially my yoga

(thats not to say that I dont want to get back to see my lovly family 😉, I miss them loads really )

So my 1st class in 10 days is done, and yes it was tough going....

I really couldnt wait to get to it ....my body felt like it needed a good stretch, especially after that 5 hour flight ( which was not enjoyable...after being up for 15 hrs, then the flight, then the 2 hr difference, its fair to say that we were feeling a little fragile...  )

it started very gently with some nice loosening up exercises/forward folds etc but quickly moved onto some quite intense strength asanas/poses...moving through several sequences of downward dog, 3 legged dog, plank, and side plank which was , for me, quite tough!! 😩 ( was I really missing this! )

moving on, twists of different variations!!...and by now I was feeling very tired..so the arrival of some work on our back was very welcome.....

Our class finished with 10 minutes meditation which was very welcome...an opportunity to rest and breathe.......and focus on nothing but my breath entering and leaving my tired body 😔

Namaste

yoga day hurray

To do yoga everyday is a gift to ourselves

a gift that brings with it many benefits

No 2 days are the same ..something we all agree on I'm sure

Some mornings we wake and are full of energy and good intentions..

and other days we wake and that energy somehow still seems to be sleeping!!

Sometimes that energy needs a little nudge or a kick up the gluteus maximus 😉

Yoga is a perfect way to do this..

on days like these I take a few nice deep inhales and exhales...stretching the arms above my head...inhale and reach for the sky and lower arms to the side of the body as you exhale..after several of these I move on to forward fold...

Forward fold with knees bent and exhale deeply, exhaling out that stale breath from the body..let body be quite relaxed /floppy as you exhale down..and gently draw in abdominal muscles, helping to push out that stale breath..repeat this several times....

I try to let this sequence flow smoothly from Tadasana ( mountain pose ) through to Uttanasana ( standing forward fold )

I am gentle with my body 1st thing in the morning and allow my knees to be bent in uttanasana, and move on to legs being straight after several sequences ( and if it feels good )

It is important to work to our own bodies limitations..it is our practise.

I soon feel the energy/warmth waking....

This sequence only takes minutes but sets me up for the day....so even if I am very limited on time I can still fit this in....and hopefully time permitting I can follow this with either a home practise or instructor led class at the gym.....

Have a fab day

Food for thought

How true this is....

 dont be in so much of a hurry to get there that you forget to enjoy the journey

Namaste

x

Dalai Lama

Be kind where ever possible....being kind is always possible

mudra

Mudra

When I started to do Yoga, I thought it was a combination of stretches poses meditation and some very strange words.....so the word mudra was something very alien to me.

As time went on I wanted to know more about Yoga..so that meant getting to know these mudras ...

as these are quite often part of yoga classes.

They are symbolic gestures often practiced with the hands and fingers. A seal

so a hasta mudra means hand gesture and they are adopted during asana (posture), pranayama (prana..meaning fundamental life force and ayama meaning control or extend/draw out).... and meditation.

I find the actual explanation very confusing but hopefully as times goes on it will become clear ..er ! 😉  

A mudra is performed to direct the flow of energy through the body for various purposes 

ie promote healing or calming the mind

Simply put ...It is said that our hands hold each of the basic elements: fire (thumb), air (index finger), space (middle finger), earth (ring finger) and water (pinky finger)

Different areas of the hands are connected with areas in the body and the brain. So when we place our hands in yoga mudras, we stimulate different areas of the brain and create a specific energy circuit in the body. By doing this, we help generate a specific state of mind.

One such Mudra is Guyan Mudra or chin mudra
join the tips of the index finger and thumb to form Guyan Mudra as shown above. keeping the other 3 fingers together and slightly stretched.
It symbolises the unity of fire and air as well as the unity of universal and individual consciousness.

The Gyana mudra increases concentration, creativity, and is a gesture of knowledge. 

They can be performed anytime, although sitting in the lotus/cross legged position and focusing on healing can be advantageous.  As with many mudras  regular practice will contribus te to overall good health. 

The theory ithat when a finger representing am element is brought into contact with the thumb, that element is brought into balance.

Good health 

x

An excellent way to start the day

NAMASTE

An excellent start to any day but specially if you have a busy day in front of you..

Or even if yesterday was a busy day....

like a bank Holiday 😉

In fact why not do it every day....

Another Inspiration

Good morning beautiful people..







That said..we should aspire to make the most of TODAY......
On that note ...I would like to share with you ANOTHER INSPIRATION
#Jean Dawson is 100 years old and still goes to her yoga classes!!

Jean Dawson practises #Iyengar Yoga which is characterized by the focus on  body alignment and by the use of yoga props such as yoga blocks and belts. Mrs Dawson says that yoga helped her cure her back pains and gave her better flexibility and stamina.

This amazing lady was still practising headstands and shoulder stands at the age of 97..

but unfortunately had to stop due to blood pressure...

I think the most amazing fact of this story is that Jean didnt start yoga until she was  67 after seeing an ad about it in her neighbourhood,  and credits it for her health and longevity.

“I don’t know how I would be today if I hadn’t taken up Iyengar Yoga. It has given me good posture, balance, concentration, flexibility and stamina,” reported Jean

Well I dont know about you....but if its good enough for Jean ..its good enough for me...so share her story with all your treasured family members...including those silver foxes, aunts, uncles,granma's ( my category 😉) granpa's, mothers and fathers right now...

You know it makes sense....

The moral of the story?

Namaste

yoga for life....golden yogis

Namaste

so my previous blog was all about the celebrated yoga teacher #Tao Porchon-Lynch 98 years old          

( Named “Oldest Yoga Teacher” by Guinness World Records in 2012)

yes an amazing lady to say the least...

and yes, surprisingly, there are a lot of amazing older people out there who devote their lives to being healthy and fit and include yoga in their recipe for a long and healthy life. 

And funnily enough lycra leggings are NOT essential😉

The recent UCLA research took brain scans and memory tests, comparing the effects of 12 weeks of memory exercises with a course of yoga and meditation on 25 adults over 55. The latter not only had better improvements in their spatial and visual memories, but also more reduced depression and anxiety and increased resilience to stress. “Although this study is small, it suggests that we should be doing more research into the benefits of yoga and meditation as additional ways to keep our hearts and brains in good health as we age,” says Dr Clare Walton of the #Alzheimer’s Society.

There’s no need for hours and hours of headstands to benefit. In this study, volunteers did just one hour of #Kundalini yoga a week. This is a gentle form of yoga that incorporates breathing techniques, meditation and some chanting of mantras. The latter may feel silly at first but can be easier than other forms of meditation. The study participants also did 20 minutes daily of #Kirtan Kriya, a type of meditation involving chanting, hand movements and visualization of light.

there are many benefits that yoga can give to every one... but especially beneficial as we get older:

Increased flexibility

Strengthens muscles ( including ones that we may have forgotten about ! )

Creates mindfulness ( giving a feeling of empowerment, improving sleep, improving the way we breathe )

Improves Balance ( especially important as we get older )

Gives confidence ( an opportunity to join classes and regain a social life and companionship )

So be the best version of YOU at any age...its never too late to start Yoga