cant believe its been another month

How can it be a month since I last posted!!!!

Unbelievable how quick time is flying by.
Time is mainly took up with my yoga classes ( or the preparation of them ) 
I love teaching yoga even tho it is very early days and I have so much to learn.  And of course I am still doing my body balance classes!!!!
To be honest tho, I feel exhausted most of the time    ( in a good way )
I just hope my energy levels are going to rise to it.... SOOONNNN   lol
I like to research each pose I teach and like to give out an instruction sheet for my students to take home. And it all takes up a lot of time.
I think its really useful if they can do a little bit of practice at home...it gives them confidence for when they come to the next class
( and its lovly when they ask  'which pose are we learning this week?' )
I love to find different music for the meditation... I listen to it loads during the week to see how it makes me feel
This week we listened to GayatriMantra 💞 I love this, but there are some arrangements that I really love....and others that I dont like quite as much!!!!
Feedback was amazing..... everyone loved it too.
Its not a big class but everyone is really lovly and we are going on this journey together, improving every week, getting more calm each week and hopefully taking something really beneficial away with them when they leave the class.

I hope they will continue to join me

and we can grow together

love n light

🙇

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

Mindfulness

Mindfulness/Meditation

what is this?

Meditation is a simple practice available to all, which can reduce stress, increase calmness and clarity and promote happiness. Learning how to meditate is straightforward, and the benefits can come quickly. Here, we offer basic tips to get you started on a path toward greater equanimity, acceptance and joy. Take a deep breath, and get ready to relax. (david gelles)

for me I initially found even the idea of it very strange ..and difficult....

to lie in a room at the end of a yoga session,  full of people/strangers, possibly with my eyes closed was very uncomfortable territory....

I thought that I would never feel comfortable...my mind would be racing...wandering what I had to do later.....I could feel my heart beating and it felt that it would beat right out of my chest some times!!

I did not get anything out of it at all...to be truthful, sometimes I would leave before the meditation...

it just didnt suit my hyper personality

the concept of strangers/instructors seeing me at , what i percieved to be a very vunerable position, filled me with stress ( the complete opposite of what it should do)

But, 12 months on, I'm pleased to say that i stuck with it and hung around for meditation more often and it started to feel a lot less alien.. and.I actually find myself looking forward to it 

its fair to say that some days are better than others...I can get to quite a calm state in a few moments ..listening to the instructor and taking it all in....

an instructor can be a really good focus and I personally think I would find it a lot harder on my own......on a good session I experience a calm that that I have never felt before....a stillness..a quietness.. quieten the mind....

And then other days ..i struggle...  even to relax..I am constantly distracted, 

It is very early days for me and I am looking forward to learning more about meditation...

we are instructed to remember the calm and to take it with us..to be recalled when we find our selves anxious....I find it fascinating

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