The Bali Yoga Flow
Spending month April in Bali doing a 300 h Teacher Training. The flow is a little wobbly as after two weeks the body is a little sore. Plus it is very hot in the afternoon sun, so what you actually cannot see are the floods of water running down my body. Anyway – hope you enjoy the flow 🙂
Curcuma
Turmeric powder might well be the healthiest spice on earth. It is made by grinding the dried root of the Curcuma longa plant. Its main component curcumin has been evaluated as potential natural remedies for conditions like allergies, cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, etc.
For myself, I have found that curcumin has also a healing effect on your skin and I drink curcuma water in the mornings as part of my breakfast routine. The health effect is enhanced when black pepper is added. To make it a little more attractive for the tongue you can add as many lemon and honey as you want.
Some kind of backbending
New video !!! Going on extended travels and my students wished for some inspiration for their practice during that time. Here we go:
Fuel your soul
Confusion is: „I don’t know but I should know“ or „I don’t know, but I need to know.“ (…) When you let go of the belief that you should or need to know who you are, what happens to confusion? Suddenly it is gone. When you fully accept that you don’t know, you actually enter a state of peace and clarity that is closer to who you truly are than thought could ever be. Defining yourself through thought is limiting yourself. – Eckhart Tolle (A new earth)
Just go with the flow, feel the movement and fuel your soul 🙂
Awakening
At the beginning of your yoga practice you most likely concentrate on your physical exercise. You might realize that you body changes at first. But you might also realize that you are more aware of reaction, emotions etc. That is the result of the awakening of certain energy points in your body, known as chakras. To understand the features of the chakras, the main ones are described in more detail:
Sahasrara Chakra: Crown
Integrates all energy centres of the body
Function: Spiritual and self-awareness
Asana: inverted-head asanas like Shirsasana (headstand), Matsyasana (fish pose)
Ajna Chakra: Brow
Referred to as third eye and fosters intuition and knowledge
Function: Seeing and intuiting
Asana: Seated yoga mudras
Vishuddha Chakra: Throat
Fosters communication, independence, fluent thoughts and sense of security
Function: Communication and self-expression
Asana: Sarvangasana (shoulder stand), Matsyasana (fish pose), Supta Vajrasana (Reclined Thunderbolt Pose)
Anahata Chakra: Heart
Fosters feelings and devotion
Function: Love
Asana: back-bending asanas like Dhanurasana (bow pose), Ushtrasana (camel pose)
Manipura Chakra: Solar Plexus
Fosters digestion, personal power and all matters of growth
Function: Willpower
Asana: back-bending asanas like Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose)
Svadhisthana Chakra: Sacral
Fosters reproduction, creativity and joy
Function: Procreation
Asana: Bhujangasana (cobra), Salabasana (locust pose)
Muladhara Chakra: Base of Root
Fosters sexuality, stability and sensuality
Asana: seated asanas lifted away from gravity, e.g. Tittibasana (firefly), Bakasana (crow pose)
Breakfast Buns
If you like to have a nice and healthy alternative for bread, cereals or whatever you enjoy for breakfast, check out our breakfast buns here.
Rotation
Twisting asanas help particularly when there are conditions of scoliosis, asymmetries in the body, tightness in the shoulders and neck or the pelvic girdle, and when digestion and absorption need to be stimulated. Rotational asanas relieve discomfort in the shoulder and spinal areas, increase their flexibility and ease pain or strain from stiff lumbar spine. Our spines are incredible combinations of strength and flexibility – therefore use the following flow to smooth them 🙂
Yoga for everyone
Over years and years, Yoga has developed continuously. It was mainly a practice to reach a higher state of consciousness. Today yoga is seen more as a comprehensive practice that is open to everyone to reach a state where the body and mind are in harmony.
For most people nowadays yoga is practiced for its asanas (the physical exercise). But it is actually a whole philosophy of life. Age, religion, physical restrictions etc. do not play a role in yoga as everyone can benefit from its healing effects – everyone in his own speed, own variations, adapted to each and everyone’s needs.
When somehow captured in the everyday life – with its speed, hectic, stimuli – practicing yoga has quite a therapeutic effect. With regular yoga practice, it is possible to become a better and more attentive observer of your own body and mind which then helps to cope with everyday life at ease and to better understand own reactions.
The need to deal with stress, makes the practice of yoga an ideal option. As said above, yoga is not just a physical exercise routine, but a combination of our physical, mental, and spiritual faculties. Contrary to popular belief, yoga is not an archaic path that only rishis and yogis choose to treat. In fact, yoga can help negotiate the many ups and downs (big and small) of life. What sets yoga apart from other fitness systems is its focus on the mind, body and spirit. Yoga stimulates glands, facilitates cell replacement, improves blood circulation, increases flexibility, detoxifies the system, calms the mind, keeps you energetic, strengthens the body and helps to connect with yourself.
Sounds good? So why not start your practice right away or take it as your new year resolution?
(Inspired by B.K.S. Iyengar and Yamini Muthanna)
