Yoga Student Questions!

One of my students asked me about what she could do for a few minutes each morning to maintain the great benefits she felt from our class and how I maintain my daily practice.

So here are my simple steps My 5 tips. 

1. Set you alarm for 15 minutes earlier.

2. Go to the toilet.

3. Unroll you mat

4. Start your practice

5. Connect to your breath and start to move.

This is how mine started and still continues 5 years later. 

I hear lots of reason why people cant get to their mat, to tired, not enough time, to cold, I have children, and theses are all the reasons you should get to your mat to do just 5 minutes. If you have any of the reasons above then do your yoga in bed. It takes just a few minutes the amazing benefits your body will soon start craving more. You could start by connecting with your breath, full body stretching, knees side to side to gently wake up the spine, knees in to chest (right knee first to help elimination) all these simple movements will help aid digestion and gently energise the body and clear the mind for the day ahead.

Yes some mornings for me don't flow as well as others, but what I have learnt to do over time is to listen to my body (not my mind) and go inside and offer the body what I think it needs that morning, you will surprised that once you start to move and wake the body and connect with your breath the body starts to respond and sometimes these slow starters turn out to be the best practices. 

Making time for our selves is one of the hardest things people talk about when they come to holiday with us. For me it should be the first on the list each day to keep us healthy, connected and open for all the wonderful opportunities that come our way each day that most of the time we miss because we are so wrapped up in our daily routine, work or other peoples business.

Start today.

www.yoga-holidays-turkey.com

My few rounds of Sun Salutation A turned into the most awesome practice!

Saturday morning is normally a rest day from my asana practice but since I have spent the last week cleaning our apartment after a lot of building work my karma yoga practice has certainly deepened a lot over the last week as cleaning wouldn't be my first choice of how to spend my days but my asana practice has been few and far between. 

So this morning I thought I would grab a few asanas before the children woke. I took my mat onto the balcony and started to flow through sun salutation A. My first Ukatasana (forward fold) and my hamstrings where screaming at me. My mind instantly tried to take over with a negative 'Ow this practice is going to be tough'. I continued bringing my mind back to my practice slowly bringing heat into my body and loosening slowly. Flowing through 5 A's then through B with lots of variations I could feel my body sarting to suck up all the wonderful stretches. My mind was present and on the mat it felt great.

My ultimate adventure pose for some time has been Pinchamayurasana (forearm balance) and Astavakranasa (eight-ange pose). I had been flowing for an hour and no sign of the kids as yet so I continued to see how my 2 challenging poses would feel this morning. First one was scorpion (normally done against the wall for balance but this morning I tried it without the wall and I ROCKED IT and held the balance for a few seconds. I had a quiet YEY moment in child's pose just letting go with each breath before trying again to see if it wasn't just a one off and Up I went again :) My next pose eight-angel pose and again I rocked it! I went  up with lightness and grace found my balance and with a big smile on my face held it for a few moments and gently lowered.

 I felt such a difference in both poses so much lighter and fearless such a progression for me that has been slow in coming. The one thing my practice showed me this morning is that I really listened to my body and become present on my mat. Now this still doesn't happen every time I hit my mat as the mind still can take over me but this morning after my first forward fold I never would of thought my practice would have been so awesome… 

I think sometimes it is good to take a break from your practice especially if you practice every day allow the body to have a recovery day as the one thing I notice when I do is that my body becomes and feels stronger and that's when my practice deepens. This is why I love self practice even though yoga is not competitive in any way and you work to your own level of practice.

In class you can't help but take a glance over at your fellow yogis and think Owww I want to be able to do that posture, so you give it a try and nope your body is having none of it. What looks so easy and graceful to others can leave you feeling heavy and deflated. I know this should not be the yogis way of thinking but I can say I have felt like that in class sometimes. My home practice allows me to deepen and work on a pose without distraction. You can chip away slowly until Yes you're Rocking it!… Its all about your level and dedication to the practice that makes your practice your own.

Sometimes it is good to expect the unexpected. Back off! stop trying so hard, stop resisting. It's not about the difficulty of the posture its about how you feel in the posture and this is the same in life choices. We sometimes loose our direction and fearful and our mind chatter can easily take us off our path. As with your practice trust yourself and listen, go inside, take baby steps through all challenges.  All the postures are there for the taking just like all your dreams can come true in life just go with your own flow, keep present and have fun on the mat and like the famous quote by Sri K pattabhi Jois "Practice and all is coming" 

Self Practice! Where real Yoga Begins.

After teaching 9 yoga sessions a week and practicing with some wonderful teachers this summer, 
this morning was my first self practice in a while. 
It felt good to be on my mat to ease me into my week off since our students left. I love attending a yoga class its great being guided for an hour or so but having a home practice for me is were the real yoga starts. Yoga is a life practice and is not separated from our everyday life. Whats happens on the mat is a really good reflection of what our life is like of the mat. A lot can be said from your downward facing dog!
Having a self practice at home is not only good self discipline It's about having self-control and self-independence, which are found in our every moment of our existence and awareness. It brings us great health benefits and harmony to live and fulfil the life each one of us deserves.

Self practice away from a studio or class is the perfect way to connect and get to know yourself, as little as 15 minutes a day helps us to withdraw our senses and go within, we find stillness, silence and contentment we hold all the answers to who and where we want to be, and a daily yoga practice enables you to break through physical and psychological blocks, increasing energy, which will open the doors for new interest and opportunities to come into your life.
We will become more into the present moment and cultivate pure awareness allowing us the time to establish a dialogue with our Soul and tap into our inherent wisdom and divinity. You get to understand your own body and needs and see how your body and mind feels each day you step to the mat without distraction. 

Yoga wouldn't be yoga without the use of our breath. Our breath is the gift of life, using our breath to flow through yoga asana sends new prana throughout our body, we become more powerful and radiant, while at the same time becoming softer and more present.

If you have been to a few yoga classes a home practice can start very simply.
Stick to an overall structure with a beginning and an end. Begin with maybe sitting in easy seat and become aware of your breath to really connect and soften the mind. 
Breath in and out through your nose, lips closed gently. 

Warm up stretches (neck, shoulders, wrists). Sun salutations A to wake up the heart and re-energise the body.
2 standing postures maybe (warrior 1&2), balance (tree), seated forward bends, reverse plank, shoulder stand, plough and savasana. 
Do Not Skip savasana! This is not just for deep relaxation. It allows the body to re-group and reset itself After the exertions of the practice, if only for a few minutes. 

Let your breath guide you through each posture hold standing, seated postures for 5 breaths to really allow your body to except the stretch and release and let go. 

Please do not worry about messing up your flow, have fun with your practice and listen and trust the teacher in you! 

I'm certainly going to have fun with my Practice. I learn something new about myself on the mat and everyday my practice is different. It gives me time to work on challenging postures chipping away slowly and going deeper each day. I love the self-discovery and clearing out the old habits and emotions that we collect over the years to make space and openings for new beginnings and opportunities on our wonderful life journey. 

Enjoy Your Practice!

Namaste!

Jo ox

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