Blissful Summer

Oh I’m so good ( bad ) at this blog lark, not very regular to say the least!

I want to write a little about al fresco ( outdoor ) yoga. At this time of year it is a joy to get up with the early morning sun, take your mat outside and do a little yoga if you have the space, it doesn’t have to be much, and if you have the inclination and time to sit for a short meditation then even better, you will be amazed at the difference it makes to your day, you will glide through it with a positive outlook and feel good about yourself for being so good!

Make hay while the sun shines!

Carving your path towards the light

We may be in the murky wet depths of February but the snowdrops are out and the classes at the studio are busy with folk embracing their bodies and minds and finding the joy of movement and relaxation.

It feels so good to move, and as we head towards spring with longer days ahead of us, the sap rises within us and we naturally become more energetic.

For now though we have the delight of the underfloor heating and blankets to wrap up in for Savasana…the best bit of the yoga class is it not?

Wake up February

I often think it challenging for people to meet the fitness demands the media throw at us in January when we are deep in hibernation mode. We are hard wired to slow down in the winter and in my mind January is about as deep as winter gets.
February is a far better time to embrace some new health strategies, such as gently detoxing the system and moving the body kindly towards the spring.
We need to exercise of course but we also need to be kind to ourselves and mindful of our energy at this time of year. We are very good at beating ourselves up and not feeling we are doing enough. Some gentle daily yoga and walking in nature is perfect.
Enjoy watching the spring bulbs poking their heads out of the ground, with many much further on than that in this mild winter.

The power of light

I’m amazing at this blogging lark!
A little more frequent blogging would be better…new years resolution then!!

The power of light…
This is the time of year when we perhaps feel the lack of day light most prominently, the clocks have not long gone forward and the weather is unseasonably dull and damp.
This is the perfect time to bring some visualizations on light into your yoga practice.
There are many sequences that access the heart centre and this is a good focus point for inner light and warmth.
Surya Namaskara – Sun Salutation is perhaps the most obvious yoga sequence to focus on.
Beginning in Namaste with hands in prayer at the heart, visualise the rising sun in front of you, and as you progress through the movements of the sequence, picture light in your heart, sealing it there at the end of the sequence by placing your right palm over the heart and then the left.

We can bring light into our breath and actions at any time just by closing the eyes, breathing calmly and visualizing light at the heart centre, in the image of a flame or the sun. If visualization is not your thing, then feeling warmth works too.

Summer stretchy yoga!

Stretching is glorious in the summer months, it is easier as the body is already warm, and so it moves with slow grace. The energy is high in the summer and as a result the body moves more willingly into a pose, and once in it, energy expands outwards from our centre  to the perimeter of the body and beyond.