We’re going to work with a more subtle awareness and bring our attention to the energies flowing through us.
Expansiveness and flow increase when we invite a higher volume of subtle energy into our bodies. Experience this subtle power in a simple round of Sun Salutations, awakening deeper to the energies that flow through you in every moment.
Hello Beautiful Souls, I’m on a pilgrimage in Cathar Country, southern France for three months, and I’ve decided to share a few yoga videos.
Continue readingOne thing that most of us don’t do enough of is move.
And if we do move, we don’t necessarily move those parts that are most effected by our modern, device using lifestyles… like our shoulders.
Continue reading(video: 10:06; I’ve added subtitles to compensate for the microphone.)
Shoulders up around your ears more often than you’d like? Do you frequently find yourself hunched forward over your computer? Painful? Sore? Stiff?
These poor posture habits can be changed with a little awareness.
This 10-minute yoga practice will bring your attention to your shoulders, soften and gently stretch them. Feels great and the focus on your shoulders is an awareness you can bring into your day to help you change your habits!
You can do this practice at different times for different goals: in the morning to start you say with this awareness, or midday as a wonderful rejuvenating pause, or at the end to gently wind down and release tension.
However you use it, let it help you bring awareness to how you’re sitting at your desk, standing and moving through life. With this growing awareness, you can choose to relax and relieve your shoulder muscles. Overtime, your shoulders will be where they’re serving you best: in a neutral, relaxed position, ready to move in any direction with ease and power!
Enjoy!
(video 4:13) Ever really wanted the future to come true because the present didn’t seem as shiny? I’m moving to a new country soon and boy would that be easy! I could focus on all of the things that are “better” there and really ferment dislike for all of the things that I don’t like here. It’s really tempting to think that change is for the better and therefore the present isn’t as good as the future will be…
And does that help you enjoy where you are right now? And if you stay in that mindset, does it help you enjoy the future when the future becomes right now, your present?
(video 2:45) We also worked on back and knee flexibility.
Here are a few quick yoga exercises that you can do to regain flexibility in your back and knees.
Here is how I see these exercises working best for your body: If you have back or knee issues, for each movement only bend or stretch as far as feels good. If you do these exercises with out straining yourself (stopping your bend or stretch BEFORE it hurts) you will allow your body (muscles and joints) to relax and loosen. You will find that as we repeat each exercise you will naturally be able to bend or stretch a tiny bit more each time, eventually regaining your natural flexibility in that area. Celebrate each centimeter of improved flexibility!
If instead you push your body into the pain zone as you do these movements, your muscles will tense up to protect your body. You will not relax or loosen, and you will not regain flexibility. You will remain stiff. At best you will keep your injuries in place and at worst you could injure yourself more.
Of course, you may not agree with me, and you are welcome to use these exercises in the way is best for you. Whatever you do, enjoy being bendy!
(video 3:46min) And now for something different…
This summer, I had the pleasure of sharing yoga with several lovely humans new to it. Over the course of the week, we slowly built up to doing a Sun Salutation… and here it is.
Note on breathing: There are many, many schools of thought in yoga on how to breathe. For me, the most important part is that you connect your breathing with your movements, meaning that you time your movements to your breath. Whether you’re breathing in or out during a certain movement isn’t as important as that the movement starts when your breath starts. As you begin to breathe in (or out) you begin a movement. Then as you begin to breathe out (or in) you begin the next movement.
Enjoy breathing as you move! :)
