Tag: Physical

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Let’s talk Yoga, not Fashionista, Contortion, or Stretch Fads

This has been one of the hardest things I’ve written, yet.  I’ve spoken to students and other teachers about this many times and the generalisation of the issue I pose, generally, centres around individuals and groups whom from the outside, have a lot in common with I.  Thus, when criticising something which looks so close to home, one has to first have looked long and hard in the mirror – actually, criticising anyone is usually a call to take a long hard look at oneself.  But, let’s talk yoga..

 

However, I’m aware buttons may be pushed for some readers, do comment below, make suggestions for improvement, create a discussion if you disagree or agree.  By no means in this 7 short years I’ve been practicing and studying yoga can I say I have read all the philosophy, solely studied it with intensity or fully embodied it; however, I have had the privilege of having some amazing teachers (taking many forms of actual teachers, students, injuries, etc) and the practice of what has been delivered to me as ‘Yoga’ has literally, saved my life.  The basterdisation of ‘Yoga’ doesn’t feel good to me, it feels the opposite of what I’ve grown with and thus, for current students (including I), future students and many more beings in and around this practice; I feel a need to challenge some of the bullshittery around the Westernised version also known as ‘Yoga’, or Voga or WTF ever..
yogaaa

 

I was teaching less and less ‘yoga’ last year, still had a couple of consistent classes and clients but generally; I had been put off even telling anyone I teach it, even today my introduction doesn’t include ‘yoga teacher’ due to the connotations around that being in their abundance.  My practices continues to evolve, in a profound way, this too can make it hard to share and sometimes, one needs to take time to fully embody what it is that’s happening as the internal and external world change alongside the practice, thus being mindful to not share a confused message..  Of the yoga classes I teach, it’s taken a long while to move into a place (with some of the regulars) where the space is available to offer more alternative ways to be in Asan (the ‘steady’, comfortable postures), allowing in the potential to drop concepts and conditionings around the general consideration about harder, faster and stronger being the better or only way.. 

 

The other reason I’ve found it hard to teach and focused more with Pilates has been this portrayal of the skinny/slim white girl bending over backwards, posing on Instagram, putting legs behind the head and calling it yoga.  Even to view some websites when I’m looking for workshops to attend, WTF – really, why would I want to learn yoga from this person making shapes but somehow feels so far removed from the practice?..  Where’s the self-love and reflection?..

 

OK, so what makes me any different?  Why criticise this?  I’m different because I don’t give a fuck TBH about how my hair looks in asan, I’m not going to buy into the £100 legging fad, my main care is comfort not contort.  I don’t have an Instagram account and I don’t see the point to post endless selfies trying to prove something.  I did make a demo video a couple of years ago to help a friend with a project and have had requests to make them by other friends and companies, so I’m working on it, but I really don’t understand how you can transpire some of the teachings via non-face to face, energy to energy contact..?  But let’s see, this isn’t a diss on technology!

 

I’ve heard so much from students, studio managers and other teachers about people getting taught ‘yoga’ by someone doing a headstand in front of the class before they’ve even begun, ‘the young 20 something slim girl coming back from a 200 hour training and taking all the yoga teaching jobs’, students getting Pushed or encouraged to Push themselves into Asan, workshops actively encouraging taking of selfies during the workshop in various poses…  Need I go on..  And all under the umbrella of ‘Yoga’.  THAT is the kind of ‘yoga’ I don’t want to be associated with; I teach intuitive movement perhaps I’ll say instead, or Pilates and mindfulness..  Yes, I too started with a 200 hour course but this was just The Start.  Hats off to anyone who can get onto teaching classes after that brief introduction (unless perhaps already with a vast amount of practice in more than just asan and education in A&P) but it’s not real.  And it’s giving ‘yoga’ a really bad reputation among people who actually give a shit about the connective, expansive and life changing side of this beautiful ancient tradition.  I know I’ve only less than a decade of experience here but I won’t claim to be anything more, I teach modestly and am quite open about my limitations, then if people return they can listen to how I can point only back to them for them to learn what it is they’re looking for.

 

For a simple example, paschimottonasana, seated forward bend; can you hold your big toes? How does holding your big toes make your WHOLE spine, shoulders, feet, etc feel?  Do you have a feeling of length through out or did you have to compress and contort something to get there?  I.e. is that congruent with your whole?..  Can you still breathe?  Does it even matter that you have your toes?!  Some hips and spines are that open, TBH, I don’t see that many in classes I teach; general bodies have been long deformed by chairs, sofas, cars and society.  Does YOUR body need to be in a deeper bend than him or her?  Do you need to master this posture to post it onto your or as a response to a celebrity teachers’ instawank?  Is that 5 seconds of pain necessary to inflict upon yourself?..  Are you enough aware about how to listen to yourself so you can hear how your body responds to this posture?  So you are aware if that’s the right place for you to be right now?  Or sorry, were you just after a stretch class?
fallingyoga
Picture of me on old yoga photoshoot punching above my weight trying to pose for pinchamayurasana – just in case things needed lightening up 😉

 

It’s the drive to go deeper into posture without regard for causing damage to the body; which for me, has been one of the most powerful realisations (which I keep coming back to!) about how the path of yoga moved from an exercise class (yes, this is how it started for me) into something a lot more.   Saying that, yes, I know by teaching the way that I do, I run the risk of bastardising some of the lineages of Asan; but for me, not taking into consideration that our overly sedentary Western bodies have simply (most of us) had different experiences during the formative years than past yogis, is bastardising the Yamas and Niyamas..  Social media has a lot to answer for about portraying a distorted view on what bodies ‘should’ look like and be capable of doing; smiling contortionists, getting all pretzeled up, just for the shot..  Unless you’re a dancer, gymnast, martial artist, moved properly your whole life (and have some degree of hypermobility) how really can one be able to sit comfortably and breathe in some of these postures?..  Hats off to those who can, love it!  But this doesn’t make up the majority in my UK based circles.

 

Too often I’ve seen and heard people aggressively being pushed or pushing oneself into postures, throwing our cells around and blaming yoga for our getting injured.  It troubles me to hear from students talking about teachers who are regularly showing off their postures, head standing in front of everyone before class has even begun, FFS, really?!  Whilst of course wearing the latest ‘in’ lycra, all a part of the modern ‘yoga’ brand.  Although I am in one vein, criticising this, in the other I hold space for it, as I’ve been there too.  Feeling the pull to go there still now at times (yes I appreciate aesthetics and pretty things!), it feels good to wear nice things!  But as teachers at least, I encourage you to question your motives sometimes.  It’s hot, I want to wear my abs out..!  Hmmm, yea but then those people who come to my class who aren’t all day movers get a distorted perception of healthy body image..  Those who maybe can’t afford much more than their gym membership get the feeling they don’t have enough money to buy into the ‘yoga’ world of looking good?..  Why and when did yoga become so exclusive?  When did all this get so mixed up?   Again, FFS..  I wear all sorts, but if I want to look sexy I keep it for my free time with the someone I want to look sexy for, not people who are coming to learn something with such a transformational edge with, it gives totally (for my style at least) the wrong impression.  Students are already at one’s mercy due to the set up of teaching, keep it pure, keep it real, keep your freaking EYES wide OPEN.  I’ve recently started teaching yoga classes to banging tunes, requirement of the particular studio, the message still transpires; breath in the asana, not just pushing the painful posture; banging beats, whale noises or silence..

 

For the past 7 years or so I tried so hard to fit into the yoga world, causing injuries, ignoring my desires for other pursuits and trying to keep up with the trends.  Now I say fuck it.  Fuck the clothing companies (I actually wrote to one about only having size 6 models and was told this is protocol.. Sweaty Betty your response was pretty lame and unsatisfactory), fuck the “I can touch my big toe”, fuck the contortion, fuck the perfect alignment, fuck the competition; give me the sensing, inside out awareness with less headfucks and back aches.  Each of those has it’s space in the world, let’s celebrate the differences for what they are?  Rather than what they claim to be..?

Love

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Heart Listening Meditation

 

heart-med

Photo Credit Miguel Echievera

This Heart Listening Meditation can help you to release fears and anxiety, tune into your true self and express the best of you.  Whatever the struggle, these past few years have had the propensity to make or break many of us.  Many have left this Earth, left relationships, ‘stable’ careers, and homes; many changes still seem to be happening too..

Physically and physiologically I’m in better shape than possibly ever before; psychologically and emotionally possibly also too but, recently I’ve noticed the heavy feeling in my heart.  Perhaps this is from before but I wasn’t quiet enough to listen to it, or perhaps it’s more recent that my heart is feeling pained as I only came to notice it when sitting down for a few minutes self-healing before leaving to teach.

Your physical heart resides in the left hand side of your chest, the emotional or energetic centre in more in the middle of the chest at the bottom of the sternum (breast bone).  The left side is side to relate to the right side of our brains, which is said to be related to our more feminine, quiet, and intuitive qualities; for me, this left side has generally been a bit more disturbed on comparison to the right.

Once I had settled into my seat, it was almost like a firework of realisation went off in my mind!..  When did I last truly listen to my heart?!.  I realised I still was in need for some deeper introspection to move in beyond the pull of thoughts, judgement and the mind.. The mind is very smart, I thought I was feeling, but  this is different to actually feeling, listening, sensing and being aware of the more subtle layers..

The heart meditation my heart shared with me is too good and too easy not to share.

Sit, lay down, or however you can be comfortable and about 80% relaxed, so there is still an edge of alertness present.  Lightly place your hand on your heart (just above left boob or nipple is probably the easiest place to sense it, and see if you can follow your heart beat..

If you can’t at first it’s important to breathe and be patient, these things can take time..

Simply stay with that and send the intention of love from your hand(s) to your heart.

See if you can tune into the connected nature of it all through your physical body.  If that evolves to more subtle systems then allow whatever comes. If you wind up thinking then notice your thoughts, if it’s a story about hurt, love, pain, fun or anything else then notice it, and come back to listening to your heart beat. If anything keeps pulling at your attention then explore it at will, or simply write it down to make a note, but be conscious you’ve distracted from the listening.  For how long you want to do this is up to you.  Start with 5 minutes is my suggestion.  Try it and let me know how you get on!

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Nervous Fibres

nervous-fibres1There IS an ease about which this body can move.

A way with no pain, no pushing and yet with full FUNction, form and freedom;

nothing to prove.

 

Having a substantial range for flexibility and strength suggests, a focal point would help one to manifest..

It’s a challenge to find ones midline when it feels like so much is on a wonk..

Eccentrically flowing through one curve to another,

even the best educated in trigonometry would end up wrong.

The centre line isn’t a matter of mode, median, middle or tangent,

rather a fluctuating sensing space beyond the intelligent.

 

The meat and bones, they simply grow,

but what is that alchemic energetic place in which they flow?

 

The subtle, the deep, the connecting place..

That which houses our energy and nerves;

the media through which ones perception translates what the senses observe..

How is it that with this bundle of fibres I can create experience from my dreams?

Yet also, co-create with you unimaginable scenes?

 

To be tuned in

To feel from  every part of the skin

To witness more than the thoughts

Move into freedom away from limiting self-talk..

 

It’s from fear we push back and fight,

but by moving through fear it leads into alright..

 

 

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Fighting Monkey (Copenhagen Workshop 2016)

For 4 days I’d had my mind blown
Head fuck extraordinaire..  Fighting Monkey Copenhagen 2016, Monkey Mind doesn’t stand a chance..

IMG_3482

Jozef and Linda share about moving in a way which is not only palatable but accessible and really freaking exiting.  Moving with your whole organism, opening up or enhancing ones ability to respond to oncoming challenge, moving harmoniously within your natural organism and within your environment. Assertive yet open encouragement to break out of preconditioned patterns and models, and providing the space to entice every cell of your being to work at it’s best. To keep moving, using the constant current of life and your universal vibration in order to respond to unknown variables. Coming out of the prefrontal cortex, the analysis part of your mind, and coming into the space of infinite potential; thus allowing a maximal harmonious play with your environment, whatever that may be..

For me, being a mover for a lot less time than most of those who were also attending the workshop, I found it highly demanding but very accommodating and encouraging to allow my mammal organism to move more freely and more ease fully than ever before, with a consciousness beyond the basic mind control, tapping in ever deeper to ones central channel. The principles they use are delivered in a manner such that I believe anyone can gain, whatever their background; however to have a good awareness of ones mechanics beforehand is a must to enable safe and optimal participation.

I trained intensely before this workshop, mainly working on strength and balance; this was a wise impulse for me to follow as you need to have at least a certain amount of balanced perception of strength and flexibility in order to progress through the games architecture offered. My journey with movement clearly started when I was created in the womb, but due to my path in life, movement took a sideline for schooling, university and the inevitable working at a desk for several years; following the path I assumed to be the one I needed to follow..  No matter what your background, if you’re reading this, you have a body (however that has manifested it’s unique and wonderful self) and to have a body means you NEED to move it.  Use it, or lose it.. 😉

Having a few year experience with martial arts (kick boxing mainly) and more recently with Pilates and yoga put me in good stead to keep up, awareness and knowledge of biomechanics has also been fundamental in allowing me to move in way which has reduced the stress on my body and thus increase its desired output. As when you move with poor form, this not only stresses your joints but also your nervous, energetic, emotional, digestive and other biological systems; don’t get me wrong, any movement is better than no movement but let me just drop in the word ‘optimal’ to marinade on one’s brain..  Once an awareness about basic mechanics has been embodied these proposers of fighting monkeys blow all of that out of the water. When I work with people who don’t move enough or don’t have enough awareness of their body and I can see why my other teachers have placed such strong emphasis on ‘correct’ movement; I.e. Offering movement tasks to people which can help them to stabilise and open up joints in a safe manner. This is not the only way. The joints and structures need to be allowed to move in such a way which challenges them, tests them, not only supporting them.  I can see from a general teaching stance how these techniques of basic linear alignment can help in general classes with people who aren’t so interested in movement per se and perhaps, need to first build up their basics and manage general and obvious pathologies; but I’m very happy to redefine, rebuild and reimagine what these blessed bodies can do..

Linda’s smooth and elegant yet super strong movements inspire the sense of grace and ease with the vibration of each and every one of your cells.  Jozef’s apparent background with martial arts often brings in the element of fighting to the games he shared, or I guess this could be put as, the need to respond to irregular happenings in the environment, as it’s generally not the case that our every step and every interaction will only be challenging us in a uniformed way. Therefore our body requires the neural, biochemical and physical ability to adapt constantly. How do we do that if we have only ever moved in a regular fashion?

All weekend, and in the weeks leading up to this I’ve felt energised, waking up early, until my head has been hitting the pillow (sometimes) being alive.  Now I feel I could sleep for the next month, or two..  So much demand on the systems of my organism, finally catching up with me.  But I wouldn’t change this for the world. I can feel those hard to reach areas are now pulsating with life, even if my muscles are intensely aching and my head is heavy.

The most nourishing part for my spine from the games of the fighting monkey was working a lot with moving my head with the balls.  I’ve discovered or reinforced in my brain where it is I have been having less than complete systems of movement, for me.  I can see, even though I live in a city I need not be holding myself in this bracket and boundaries anymore- mindset is of great importance. Confidence in movement is of great importance too.  I’ll admit, I’ve been quite scared of moving in certain ways as the body I have is an amazing tool for learning; the amount of eccentricities it’s shown me to work through can be pretty tiring but it’s been so refreshing to smash the shit out of what I thought it could do and open up my imagination more to what it’s built to do.

Thanks, respect and big up to Jozef and Linda x

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Pilates for Posture – Upper back and Shoulders

Sunday 13th March 12.00 – 14.30

 

piglates

Do you ever notice yourself or those around you with classic hunched shoulders and neck when checking ones phone or other electronic device?  Even when reading a paper book it seems that we don’t do enough to counter this forward curving position to help the body to find balance again.  There was a time when people would practice walking with books on their head as a means of steady posture when walking, people were more active and there was less back pain in the ‘developed world’.  Thus today, let’s take a step into finding, mobilising and using those long lost muscles; preventing atrophy, frozen shoulder, chronic neck pain, increased risk of issues associated with thoracic osteoporosis and many other things which could be positively impacted by knowing more about your anatomy and how to use it.

How does your ribcage sit?  Do you feel sometimes (or all the time) like the hunchback of Notre Dame?  Keep getting told you need to pull your shoulders back?  Get tight in the neck, shoulders, upper back?  Tension head aches?  Feel a bit lost in your own skin?.

No need to worry, get yourself aware and re-aligned, come see me for part 2 of the Posture workshop where we’ll be focusing on the upper body bones alignment, how this related to your posture and, how you present yourself and how you feel out in the world.  If you didn’t make it to part 1 (although the work we did there does feed into this) you can still make it to part 2, as our focus will be on the upper body with a basic recap on the previous workshop; part 2 contains Pilates and mobility exercises and stretches to help empower you and your ability to move out of excessive kyphosis (i.e. the hunchback look) and it’s associated symptoms.

When we allow our vertebra (bones in the spine) to stack optimally, not only does this allow us to breathe fully, move easily, and promote a sense of balanced confidence; but it also helps us to prevent future injuries, strains and even some diseases.  Thus, also we’ll be looking in more depth on how to breath deeply, maximising mobility of the rib cage, mobilise parts of you which you didn’t know you could mobilise and use Pilates and some other tools to get you more present in your body, moving more as nature intended!


If you want any more information or to book on then contact Christine now (email and phone number below)!  Places are limited to 5, all equipment is provided.

£20 investment with Early Bird booking (book on or before Thursday 3rd March) 
£25 regular investment price* 

If you’re interested but would rather the 1:1 attention and privacy of a private session then get in touch!  1:1 sessions are a great way to also help support you better if you want or need that little extra.

Love and thanks
Christine x

email: christine@core-focus.co.uk


Links for why posture matters:

TED Talks about Posture:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljm0ldxgkcE&index=6&list=FL7znEFcqi4uQ88oActfL7Cg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc
Websites on Posture:
http://blog.crew.co/power-postures/
http://jamesclear.com/body-language-how-to-be-confident


* Please note, space only reserved once payment has been made, refund only given if requested 2 weeks or more before course start date, unless you can swap your place with a SUITABLE candidate (suitable down to the discretion of Christine @ Core focus). This is to ensure that you get the best quality sessions from Christine, and that Core-Focus can continue to deliver what you need, on a small scale and at an affordable price.  Thanks 🙂

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Vitamin D

sunshineD

Vitamin D requirements in the UK is my main focus for this post, as well as any other part of the world where we don’t recieve adequate sunshine during winter and changing months to keep ones body topped up with vitamin D.

Considering our change through the industrial and agricultural revolutions over the past few hundred years (or perhaps longer, don’t quote me and feel free to correct me on that one) we don’t get out so much.   Particularly during the summer months when we could probably accrue a nice stock of Vitamin D to see us through the winter.  Our bodies need vitamin D to:

  • Support a healthy immune system and therefore not be so sick prone
  • Help build/maintain healthy bones (along side calcium)
  • Promote healthy muscle function, including the heart muscle and respiratory/breathing tissues!
  • Work with brain development
  • Manages calcium levels in the blood and all over the body, calcium not only important for bones but for functioning and communication of the bodies vast nervous system.

So all pretty important things.  If you’re deficient in Vitamin D you can bet you feel

  • Tired and unable to get moving
  • Unexpected weakness
  • Chronic pain
  • Easily broken bones

Generally, unless you eat enough oily fish (with the bones of the small guys like sardines, mackerel or tinned salmon* – be mindful of choking hazards) and/or get enough sun, or live in a country with better sun UV penetration, Vitamin D can be something we’re lacking, especially the bulk of us who usually work indoors.

What to do about Vitamin D if you’re deficient?

Most likely your doctor will tell you to buy some supplements, unless it’s a really severe case of deficiency and they may give you an injection.  Both are fine.  Just be mindful you can take too much of this good thing and it is a fat soluble vitamin and therefore will store in the body in an unhealthy manner if you have an excess.  There are generally 2 different varieties and 2 different strengths you can get, get the lower strength (0.010 micro grams/day) unless advised otherwise.  The type needs to be D3, not D2, here’s why:

Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) which is derived from plant sources also known as Viosterol and is produced by yeast and fungi. Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3),   which used to only be derived from animal/fish sources such as cod liver oil, is now also found in vegan form from the microorganism, lichen.  Vitamin D, (D2 and D3) are also fat soluble vitamins which means they require  some dietary fat to be present for their absorption (hence another reason oily fish rocks).

Vitamin D3 is produced in your skin when UVB  rays in the sunlight interact with 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) present in the skin.  D3 has a much larger efficacy (i.e. is much more effective) that D2, about 4:1 ratio of doses needed to achieve the same results, so don’t waste your time with a D2 supplement.

*Mushrooms are also reported to contain vitamin D – to give yours a boost, sun dry them in direct sunlight (of course if in UK needs to be done in the summer months) and store in an airtight container (if you can wait that long to eat them!) for consumption through later months of the year to ad a natural boost to your levels.

Hope that helps.  Always remember moderation, and natural balances are always better than supplements, get out in the sun when you can, remembering to take care during 11 – 2pm during summer months when the sun is the most hot, seek shade and plenty of water.

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-D.aspx

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/4/694.full

http://www.powerofmushrooms.com.au/health-nutrition/health-nutrition/vitamin-d/

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Best. Deo. Ever.

aromaco2

I used to rely on aerosol deos, I thought it was unnatural how much I sweat..  Over recent years or so there has been publicity about the connection between breast cancer and the lymph nodes (detoxing glands) are under your arm pits; it therefore seems counter intuitive to put something on to such a sensitive place which contains hazardous chemicals (i.e. many mainstream deos).  I tried crystal deos, natural roll ons, making my own, you name it I tried it, but I still had to wash 3-4 times a day to stop smelling like the pits!..  Then, a good friend had visited Lush before a dance party, she gave me one of the new samples she had..

Aromaco, by Lush.  Every time I wear this with no perfume, I get compliments on smelling nice!  Patchouli soft fragrance, easy on the skin but works all day against smell.  I have a very active life, this deo has been spot on even since I first tried it.

A Lot easier on the skin than a previous home made version (bicarb of soda wasn’t the best for my sensitive skin ‘sigh’).  I’ve been using aromaco for over a year and it’s great!  Lush Aromaco

aromaco1

Technicalities

A bit more below about sweating, and why this deo works for me, without feeling compelled to block up my underarm pours with antiperspirants anymore..

How much you sweat depends on a couple of different factors, sweat, or perspiration (as some would rather call it), is the bodies natural way of cooling when one gets hot, heat from exercise, hormone fluctuations (as happens to most women each month), and stress or anxiety levels and the body being in fight or flight mode (sometimes can be a long term issue). I used to sweat a lot; fortunately these days it has dramatically reduced; I put this down to mediation practices intertwined with yoga, which have helped to lower my stress and anxiety levels dramatically.  I would be sweating profusely, literally sweat dripping from under my arms (especially if in contact with certain people, even just eye contact) and yet my arms would be ice cold!  These days, I can actually wear tops with sleeves and not worry about staining the under arms within 2 minutes!

If your body is hot, i.e. if it’s going through a lot of energy and you’re doing some physical exercise (i.e. running), or fighting off some disease or bacteria, or, if you feel very anxious (then your body is constantly making lots of energy readily available to be able to flight or fight as a response to stresses being felt; imagined stresses through worry, mental stresses trying to meet deadlines or immediate physical threats).  Your body is working harder to pump sweat out so that it can cool down as the sweat evaporates from your skin and take some of your excess heat with it.  This is one branch of homeostasis, and is regulated by the hypothalamus in your brain.

Your body needs to be able to keep it’s baseline temperature, despite all this energy and heat (usually produced as a byproduct); so that it can continue to work optimally.  Enzymes which catalyse reactions in our cells all function at preferred temperatures, if this temperature is too high, it can not only inhibit functioning of certain enzymes and reactions but it can destroy (denature) them too.  You see, anyone with a high enough temperature get’s pretty quick medical assistance, your body has to work even harder to keep doing it’s job in extreme conditions (hot or cold) – hence why we sweat when hot and shiver when cold (among many other homeostatic processes)..

On to smell..  How your sweat smells also has different potential causes, of course, the most common reason is due to natural bacteria under your arms, feeding on the sweat and giving off odor as their byproduct, thus is the type which is generally avoidable (yay) by washing or using certain products which have an antibacterial effect.  Also, for some of the population it can be affected by what you eat.  I happen to be in the minority of the bodies who metabolise foods in such a way that my sweat can take on smells from foods such as garlic, literally, even straight out of the shower, my armpits will have a certain strong odor!  Fortunately I’m happy to leave garlic out except for special occasions and the Aromaco deo seems to keep the underarm bacteria in check so this issue doesn’t stand for me.  However, one must wash ones pits at least once a day – deo cannot be used to simply mask a smell which is already there.

Thanks and InJoy! 🙂

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspiration

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-07-20/health/ct-met-heat-science-20110720_1_extreme-heat-heat-stress-heat-exhaustion

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Yoga being the seed for creation

yogaga

Truth be told, although yoga IS a way of life, a way of living, breathing and being in the world, which I much admire; I haven’t made the time or felt I’ve had the stamina to self-practice in the physical sense (or even go to another’s class!) for months, probably as long as my blog writing has been waning too..  Coming into full time self-employment has been more time and energy consuming than I realised (although I am still in utter gratitude for my path in life here!)..

..This morning something shifted..

I’m not sure if it was familial visits, talking with good friends, taking naps, a new multivitamin or all of the above but today, I had the energy for Asana practice; and the world is a much brighter place again for it.  Despite having numerous classes to prepare for and beyond today being totally packed with other things to do, I feel really amazing and able to deal with life again.  My physical yoga practice being to thank for this.  It’s a shame I had to leave it for so long; but sometimes you need the space from something beautiful to miss it and realise what it is you’ve been blessed with..

Suddenly, again, I can prep for all my yoga, Pilates and meditation classes with ease, flow and purpose.  The worries of tomorrow don’t seem so close and I can again BREATHE EASY..  Almost a tear jerker in realising how much I have missed this spaciousness, for so long..  Re-igniting the flame of my creative capacity..

Thus, if you’ve also fallen off the self-love, self-mastery, self-energising wagon and have a feeling of it’s all too much.. Find your discipline and use it in your favour.  If you’re not sure what I’m writing about, then perhaps it’s time you stumbled into a yoga or meditation class of your own.  This stuff is better than any drug or drink on the open or black markets!

Namaste, breathe bright and everything’s again alright xx

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Frazzled?

 frazzled

I’m being blessed with many sessions to instruct recently, from meditation through to strong Pilates classes, thus I see a lot of bodies and the majority of them seem to be more tired than I realised at this time of year!

Caffeine helps but for how long?

Getting more into instructing the physical side of my job (yoga and Pilates more so than Reiki or meditations), it’s great the more I get to know different groups of people so that they can appreciate I’ll give them a VERY hard work out if that’s what I feel I’m needed to give, but sometimes, the minds of many are up for super physical Ra Ra Ra!! (which is very fun to deliver!) But, their bodies and eyes seem to say something totally different to me, more like, “be kind and gentle with me, I’ve had a hard xxx”.  This feels challenging to administer, as the mind/ego quite often will not thank you for leaving out the super sweatathon in favor of something more ahhhhhhhhhh than Ra Ra Ra (both session types require similar energy from me so it makes no difference except to my gut instincts)..

Finding this balance in my own life too can be mystifying when living in such a hardworking and fast paced city, I’m getting better at it, but, being freelance I’ve realised is rewarding but tricky to self-manage at times.

When you’re shattered and frazzled do you still push yourself 120%?  Or do you listen and perhaps rest or go for more gentle activity?

Why is it so many of us seem ruled by the head rather than what our body maybe screaming at us about in signs of pain, fatigue or everyday niggles?  This morning I had no choice, I missed my alarm to instruct a 07.15am class, *gulp*, so not cool but I guess this is the universe telling me I need to rest this morning!  Not great for future of covering that class, but this is enough of a wake up call for me to ensure I get that rest when it’s feeling needed..

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Mooladhara Chakra

root

The Mooladhara chakra (it’s Sanskrit name), translated as ‘root’ chakra, is located at the base of the spine, close to the perineum.

The element of the root chakra is Earth and it is our energetic connection to the physical.  The parts of the body associated with it are the legs and feet, large intestine and anus, or more solid body parts such as teeth and bones.

The basic right of this chakra is the right to be here in this physical realm and the right to have.  Some of the characteristics displayed if one is balanced in this chakra are:

  • Good health
  • Well grounded
  • Feels safe and trusting in the world
  • Stable and prosperous
  • Ability to relax

If one is working with issues in this chakra they may either have excessive of deficient energy, or both, and thus will potentially display:

Excessive energy

  • Greed, hoarding material possessions
  • Lazy, tired and sluggish often
  • Obesity and overeating
  • Fear of change and rigid boundaries

Deficient energy

  • Restless, anxious and often fearful
  • Underweight and disconnected from their body
  • Poor ability to focus and exert discipline
  • Poor boundaries and financial difficulties

Working with the root chakra means we look at ways we can assist grounding and connecting with the physical body.  Helping to reclaim our right to be on this Earth, this chakra is established (during the womb and the first 6 months post being born).

..Next up, Swadisthana Chakra..