Joy in Movement

The other day, I was listening to the Music Planet on BBC radio 3 and the presenter, Lopa Kathari described one of the songs as having sense of joy and fun. Those words struck me as I often felt that we could benefit from having these qualities in our yoga practice as well.  

Joy is defined as ‘a feeling of great pleasure and happiness’. The term fun suggests, light-hearted pleasure or entertainment. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why we undermine them, but I would argue that it’s essential for development and learning. I also believe we deserve to feel pleasure and happiness.  

When we were young, we moved naturally and easily. Children are innately motivated by pleasure and excitement of movement, so that they can intuitively explore, interact, and develop. For movement is primary and existed long before language. We now know that play is essential for our cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. As the National Institute for Play says:  

‘Movement play makes kids stronger, more coordinated, more knowledgeable, and more emotionally competent. This is especially true when movement play activities are freely chosen and self-directed by the youngster as in free play’.  

It’s not surprising that self-directed ‘free play’ is significant as it harnesses creativity and imagination. In children, imagination plays a vital role in brain development and as we’ve seen in the discovery of neuroplasticity, it’s also important in adults. Imagination aids better memory, creativity and problem-solving skills.

As we grow up and become more self-conscious, joy in movement seems to disappear and we often begin to feel less connected to our body. To make matters worse, we can wrongly assume that we’re no longer good at physical activities through our inability to enjoy rule-based sports and structured exercises.  

I experienced this first hand when my eyesight became poor when I was young. My hand eye coordination became worse and movement-oriented activities became challenging. I started to believe that I’m not good at physical activities and avoided doing them. These beliefs stuck with me until I started to practice yoga in a kind compassionate way and over time, I’ve managed to rekindle my love of movement again.  

When I’m doing yoga in an explorative manner, it’s much easier to feel connected to my body and lose track of time. It’s very similar to the way that I felt when I was playing. Whereas when I’m focusing on getting certain moves or postures ‘correct’, it’s very easy to feel frustrated and time even seems to slow down!  

It's important to have discipline and commitment to our yoga practice but it’s also essential to have some fun - they don’t need to be mutually exclusive. Enjoyment is one of the key factors that fuels my daily practice. I believe that we can benefit from finding more joy in movement. 

Metta Bhavana: Loving Kindness Meditation

There’s been lots of violence and conflict globally and within the UK. Riots have even come to Bristol last weekend and are said to return tonight. We decided to close our studio as people felt unsafe coming into the city.

In a divisive time, we felt sharing Metta Bhavana (loving kindness meditation) would be beneficial.

I was taught Metta Bhavana, loving kindness meditation from a wise meditation teacher and a Buddhist monk. He said that it’s very important to be compassionate towards ourselves so that we can extend kindness to others.

There are many ways to practice Metta Bhavana, but the simplest way is to recite the affirmation during relaxation or mediation. Spend some time connecting to your body, breath, and mind.  Bring your hands gently onto your chest and visualise communicating to yourself.

May I be happy

May I be safe

May I be healthy

May I be free

You can choose to say it aloud or silently. Repeat this again but changing of ‘I’ to ‘you’. You might like to change the hand position forwards in front of you, as though you’re giving the loving message to someone.

You can start by visualising someone you like, then change it to someone you don’t know very well, then to someone you dislike slightly. It’s easier to start with people you dislike a little bit then to try doing this to those you’re in conflict with.

Finally, you can extend the wishes to ‘all living beings’. It’s nice to open your arms wide like you’re giving it to everyone.

Loka Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu  - May everyone in the world be happy

OM Shanti Shanti Shanti  - Peace for mankind

Natural tips for Better Sleep

Sleeping well is important for our mental and physical wellbeing, you feel so wonderfully refreshed and energised when you’ve had a good night’s sleep. However, when you haven’t slept well, it can be a slog to perform even simple tasks. 

Since going through my perimenopause, I started experiencing sleep problems more frequently. Sometimes, I find it difficult to fall asleep at night and other times wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep. I noticed that lots of people (regardless of gender or age) were having similar issues, so I thought it might be helpful to share some of my experiences and some natural tips on how to get a better night sleep. 

I began researching sleep because of the impact it was having on my life. One of the sleep experts that I heard pointed out how important it is for us to feel safe before we can fall asleep. This makes complete sense as it’s essential to stay awake if you’re in danger. But nowadays most of our worries and anxieties are not physical threats but more often stem from mental or emotional causes. We can even become distressed over lack of sleep, which really compounds the problem. 

Relaxation is fundamental for letting go of our worries and helping us to get better sleep. As usual, I suggest that you take a holistic approach and experiment and see what works for you. Here’s things you can explore and see what makes you feel most relaxed and calm:  

Breathing 

Connecting to your breath and slowing down you’re breathing. It might be helpful to place your hands on your chest and belly to feel the breath more easily. Check out my previous blogs on breathing for more tips.  

Eye Mask 

This was one of the most effective tools to help me to fall back to sleep in the middle of the night. I recommend that you buy something breathable and ultra-comfortable like this one. I’ve tried different masks and this was by far the best because you can make adjustments to fit your face well and it felt comfortable and natural.  

Visualising 

Using visualisation techniques can be helpful when our minds are racing and won’t stop. Involving your senses is often very effective way to help your mind towards sleep. Perhaps remember a familiar place that you’ve visited and walk through the entire place, room by room slowly remembering all the structures, furniture, and objects in the building. I would recommend choosing somewhere neutral that doesn’t have too much emotion attached.  

Palming eyes and ears 

It can be incredibly soothing to place your palms over your eyes and ears before bedtime. You can read how to palm your eyes on my previous blogs. For palming your ears, simply cup them like you would for your eyes and hear sound of your breathing. It’s said to be healing for your eyes and your ears, and it’s very relaxing.  

Gentle movement 

Gentle non-stimulating movement can do wonders to relax the body and mind. I recommend doing some down to earth practice such as Pawanmuktasana (joint releasing movement), Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep). You can get many different recordings to guide you through Yoga Nidra on the internet.   

Warming up and cooling down your body 

My favourite way to prepare for bed is to take a bath, you can also take a shower or a lovely foot bath. I also love a warming herbal tea, camomile and lavender are both excellent natural sleep aids. Wearing socks in bed can also help if they’re cold in the winter, as the body has difficulty in sleeping when the extremities are cold.  

Read a book 

Reading a book is far better than using any devices before you your sleep. Try reading easy-going books to relax the mind. Sometimes reading a very absorbing book can be helpful to shift your focus away from anxiety and worries.  

Journal 

Keeping a journal or a diary can help you to digest and let go of your worries. It will also help you to connect to your feelings and emotions better. Some people find it useful to have a notepad and pen near bed side table.  

Circadian rhythm 

To regulate your circadian rhythm, try to go outside in the morning to get some sunlight and use low lighting at night to experience darkness. If you need to use device in the evening, you can use an app to filter out the blue light. You can also install black out curtains which are very useful in the summer.  

 Holding your thumbs 

One of my vision improvement teachers who specialises in Jin Shin Jutsu, taught me this technique that’s surprisingly very effective. You simply hold your thumb with your other hand and connect with your breathing. If you’re still awake, do the same thing on the other thumb. You can also go through all your fingers as well. Incorporating slow, relaxed breathing will double the effects.  

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There will be times when you simply won’t be able to get to sleep. In those times, take naps and Savasana (full relaxation) during the day. Meditation is also a wonderful way to connect with what’s going on in your life, helping you digest and let go of your experience. These practices will help with your energy levels and mental clarity.  

There are further things that you can do such as drinking less alcohol and to stop taking caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Before bedtime, try to do less activities that stimulate you and instead find relaxing things to unwind.  

Ironically, we often experience these problems when we need our sleep the most, but hopefully these tips will help you on the path to a better night’s rest.  

Yoga for Eyes: 5 tips for relieving Dry Eyes

Many people experience dry eyes, I used to get them frequently when I wore contact lenses and glasses. There are many potential causes of dry eyes, which can be found on the NHS website.

Instead of opting for expensive solutions like eye drops or laser treatments, why don’t you give these suggestions a go first? These tips are easy to follow and best of all, they’re free! I recommend that you try them without your glasses or contact lenses.

1.     Palming

Palming is great for relaxing the eyes and calming the mind. It’s wonderful if you’ve been starring at a screen all day, almost like savasana (full relaxation) for the eyes. Simply cover your eyes with your open palms. You can look at my previous post on palming for more information and details on how to do palming.  

2.     Face Massage

Give your face a lovely face massage regularly. It’s also great for improving your skin and reducing lines. You can also gently tap and stroke around the eyes, and even your eye lids. Your eyes are sensitive so be soft and gentle.

3.     Blink

When we spend a long time on screen, our blink rate is reduced which can explain why dry eyes are common for people who work on computers all day. You can try blinking as much as you can in a minute by fluttering your eyelids very quickly like the wings of a butterfly.  It's also very effective to squeeze your eyelids closed for couple of seconds to encourage the tear ducts.

4.     Spend time outside

It’s now common knowledge that spending time outside is great for your overall health and wellbeing. Exposing your eyes to the air and wind can get your tear ducts working and help to lubricate your eyes. Perhaps you can even do butterfly blinks or squeezy blinks outside to get double the effect.  

5.     Eye focused meditation

Have a go at the following eye focused meditation. Close your eyes and soften your facial muscles. You can optionally do palming or use an eye pillow to help settle the mind and relax the eyes. Notice your breathing and start to encourage your breath to become slow and smooth. Relax your forehead and muscles around your eyes. Feel your eyes resting quietly in its sockets and imagine two round balls gently floating in water. Allow your eyes to soften, feeling into them as you continue to breathe slowly and easily. Imagine breathing into your eyes with the rhythm of your breath as the two balls gently move. Try doing this meditation for 5 - 10 minutes regularly. 

A bonus tip would be to try using a heated or cold compress or an eye mask. These can be really soothing and nice when your eyes are feeling irritated. It’ll also helps to keep yourself hydrated and take regular breaks from the computer or devices.

Having a holistic approach is often very effective so have a go at these suggestions and see what works for you. If the problems persist or becomes worse, do visit your GP.

You may find that your eyes will become waterier than you’re used to through doing these practices but I’ve found that this will balance out over time.

Differential Relaxation Technique

Differential Relaxation Technique

Differential relaxation exercise is thought to be one of the easiest and most effective ways to learn how to reduce tension. It’s commonly used as a stress management tool and for improving overall physical performance.

We tend to tense and over work many muscles that could be in a state of relaxation. In this technique, you’ll learn how to relax the muscles that you’re not using and only use the muscles that you essentially need. For example, if you’re typing, you need to move your hands and arms but you can relax the shoulders, neck and facial muscles. This will help you to feel less tired and more energetic throughout the day and help you avoid building unwanted tension. This concept can be applied to many activities including walking and running.

This principle can also be used in your yoga practice. In any posture, some parts of the body and certain muscles are actively involved in achieving and maintaining the posture, while others are involved to a lesser extent or completely relaxed. For example the tree pose; your legs, hips and trunk of the body need to be engaged but you can relax other parts of your body such as shoulders, neck and facial muscles. This relaxation technique will assist you to become more conscious of your body and improve your practice. Try using this method next time your on you’re yoga mat. 

It’s thought that elite athletes can achieve a state of differential relaxation more easily than other people. The method avoids creating unwanted tension, which can interfere with the performance of skilled movements. 

Try and incorporate this technique in your everyday activities and learn to keep your body relaxed. Remember to:  

•     Use only parts of the body that you need

•       Relax the parts of the body that are not being used

Exercise

1. Lie in Savasana (full relaxation pose). Try tensing one part of the body and being aware of all the other parts of the body being relaxed.

2. Sit up and feel the whole body. Be aware of parts of the body that are working to keep you upright. Try and relax parts of the body that are not being used.

3. Now try standing up and doing the same

4. You can also try walking around and see if you can keep yourself as relaxed as possible

Awareness is the greatest agent for change - Eckhart Tolle

How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation

There are many different meditation techniques available but we will use our body and breath as the focal point for this practice.  Bringing our awareness to the body and the breath is a well-tested method of developing concentration.  As a meditation and yoga teacher Swami Janakandana explains:

‘To feel and experience your own body is a fundamental and natural basis for meditation and relaxation...To be conscious about natural or automatic breath is a meditation technique.’ 

Feeling our body and breath helps to settle the minds and encourage us to feel grounded.

Body & Breath Meditation

What you may need:

• Chair or cushion

• Timer (you can use your phone but switch it to silent)

• Pen and paper – we will record how you are after the practice

You can sit on a chair, on a cushion or on the floor. Sit with your spine straight and make sure that your weight feels even throughout the body. Keep your chest opened and your shoulders relaxed. It’s possible to practice lying down but there’s a danger that you might fall asleep so try to stay vigilant and relaxed. 

Set your timer for 10 to 20 minutes. You can start with 10 minutes and gradually increase to 20 minutes over time. I recommend that you use a nice sound so that it’s not alarming when it rings. 

Start to feel your natural breath and your body. Take a note of how you’re feeling right now – mentally, energetically, emotionally and physically - however it is.

Your mind may wander or experience fatigue, boredom, anxiety, aches and pains. You may also experience ease, openness, feeling of spaciousness and connection.

Try to feel and be with all the sensations that come and go, without creating too much commentary or analysis. Simply feel and observe the thinking mind without becoming lost in your thoughts. Notice what happens when you’re watching your mind.

Feeling your grounding points such as your feet, legs and hips can be a good way to come back to the body if you feel distracted. You can also try deepening the breath if your thoughts start to take over.

During the practice, you may feel overwhelming desire to move or to itch, be aware of these tendencies and try and stay with the practice as much as possible. If you’re in pain, you can gently change the position of the body. Once you’ve adjusted your position, try to settle back to the practice as soon as possible. Stay open to your experience and resist having too much expectation. Be kind and compassionate to yourself.

Once the alarm goes, slowly open your eyes and you can gently stretch the body. Notice how you’re feeling right now. As soon as possible, write down your observation from the practice. This could be a word, couple of paragraph or even a drawing.

Repeat the practice daily. At the beginning, it helps to do the practice at the same time everyday.

‘Attention is the beginning of devotion’

Mary Oliver, poet and a bird watcher

Ancient Japanese Breathing Technique

One of the amazing things that my mother taught me when I last visited Japan is the ancient Japanese breathing technique. This is a very simple but powerful method that anyone can do.

It’s important to sit tall whether you’re sitting on a chair or sitting down on the floor. If you’re sitting on a chair, make sure that your feet can be grounded and if you’re on the floor, you might want to use a cushion under the hips. Try to keep your sitting bones evenly grounded and keep the chest nice and opened.

Start by noticing your natural breath, see if you can connect to the breath without changing it in any way. This in itself can be challenging, as we often want to interfere or improve the way we’re breathing. Simply feel the breath without thinking or analysing – your body knows how to breathe and it’s perfect as it is. 

Slowly begin to deepen your exhalation. It doesn’t have to be very long or deep - encourage the outbreath to grow slowly and smoothly. Your inhalation can flow naturally. In Japan, inhalation was known as the god’s breath (or gift) and you don’t need to make any effort, as it will naturally flow in by itself. Perhaps this belief comes from witnessing how newborn babies breathe for the first time.

You’ll probably find that your inhalation will change as a result of your exhale deepening.  Watch with curiosity how your breathing cycle changes and how this makes you feel.  After several rounds, you can gently allow the breath to return back to its natural rhythm.

Throughout this practice, try to be present and focused. It’s really important to be able to connect to all sensations, thoughts and feelings. As Ravi Ravindra said,

‘Yoga practice can make us more and more sensitive to subtler and subtler sensations in the body. Paying attention to and staying with the finer sensation is the surest way to steady the mind.’

One of the aims of yoga is to steady the mind and pranayama (breathing practice) plays an essential role in helping us to achieve this.

Enjoy your breath and get to know your mind!

Insomnia and Yoga by Meera Watts

Yoga offers many health benefits and one of them includes alleviating insomnia. Through stretching, breathing, and mindfulness yoga improves your strength and flexibility, breathing, reduces stress and enhances brain functions. A recent study has also found that yoga can help you sleep if you have chronic insomnia. The Harvard Medical study looked into how doing yoga every day could affect people with insomnia.

The study conducted began with subjects learning how to do basic yoga. They were then asked to maintain the daily practice for eight weeks. Diaries were kept before the yoga began for two weeks before. They also took notes during the eight weeks of daily yoga. In total, twenty people completed the eight week study. Researchers then analyzed the information given to see if yoga helped with their chronic insomnia.

Types of Insomnia

Primary insomnia is the inability to sleep that occurs on its own. It is dependent on health problems or a sleep disorder. Secondary insomnia occurs as a system when there is another medical condition within the patient. This can be anything from cancer to chronic pain to depression. Some of the medications taken for acute health conditions can also cause insomnia.

How Yoga Helped Patients with Chronic Insomnia

The study found that for those who finished the eight weeks of yoga, they experienced improvements in:

•    Their sleep efficiency
•    Their total time of sleeping
•    Their total waking time
•    How long it took them to fall asleep
•    When they would wake up after falling asleep

While there hasn’t been a lot of research conducted on yoga and how it affects sleep, it is possible that yoga can be used as a treatment for sleep issues.

A Yoga Practice Before Bed

The reason you’re not sleeping could be for many reasons. Some have fibromyalgia so their chronic pain keeps them up at night. Some people just can’t seem to ‘switch off’ and they lie awake ruminating about things. Whatever the reasons, there is a yoga pose for pretty much every issue that is causing you to lose sleep. These basic poses are specifically to calm the body and mind before bed. You may also want to incorporate poses that help your specific medical conditions also.

Start with a Meditation

To get ready for bed, put you pajamas on. Turn the lights down and get yourself comfortable. Sit cross legged or in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and start to focus on your breathing. Do this for a few minutes. When thoughts come up, don’t hold onto them. Go back to the breath. This is to bring you to your center and to quiet the mind.

Simple Spinal Twist

As you sit cross legged, inhale and make yourself as tall as possible. As you exhale, you will twist your midsection to the left. If you have something to grab onto, you can use this to go slightly deeper into the stretch. Remain in the twist while breathing a few times. As you exhale, return your torso back to center. Inhale and then exhale your twist to the right side. Repeat this a few times. Take it slowly.

Cross Legged Bend

With your legs still crossed, bend forward from the hips and stretch your hands out in front of you. If you can get your belly to your feet and your head to the floor, that’s ideal but this may take some time to master. Stay here for a few breaths and notice the stretch your experience in your hips and back.

Seated Forward Bend

Bring your legs out in front of you so they’re straight with a slight microbend in the knees. Sit up high as you inhale. When you exhale, reach your hands out to your feet. You want to keep your back flat which means you may have to bend your knees. This pose stretches out the hamstrings which alleviates pressure in the lower back.

Knees to Chest Pose

Lie down on your back and put your head on your pillow. Bring one knee into the chest and grab your shin to pull it closer to you. Stay in this pose for a few deep breaths. Switch legs and repeat a few times. Then head both your knees into your chest. Rock side to side onto your back, allowing your whole back to relax and release. Knees to chest pose lengthens the extended knee while loosening tight hips. This is where stress lives so releasing it before bed can be quite helpful in relaxing you.

Doing these poses before bed can help you sleep. They are deeply relaxing and help to calm the mind as you are doing something physical. When you do yoga daily, you are also going to alleviate some of the pain or discomforts you’re experiencing that are the cause of sleep loss.

Bio:

Meera Watts is a yoga teacher, entrepreneur and mom. Her writing on yoga and holistic health has appeared in Elephant Journal, CureJoy, FunTimesGuide, OMtimes and others. She’s also the founder and owner of SiddhiYoga.com, a yoga teacher training school based in Singapore. Siddhi Yoga runs intensive, residential trainings in India (Rishikesh, Goa and Dharamshala), Indonesia (Bali)

Website:  https://www.siddhiyoga.com

Lion’s Pose (Simhasana)

I’ve been teaching Lion’s pose recently and noticed that people were more chatty and energetic after class. This is a seated posture incorporating a powerful breathing technique.

When you look up the benefits of this pose, it says that it helps to improve your communication and bring shy people out of their shell. It certainly gives people more to talk about afterwards, as you make a very expressive face (sticking your tongue out and rolling your eyes back) and make a loud sound!

Other benefits include strengthening the throat, preventing ear problems and even warding off colds! It’s also one of the common exercises used in face yoga as it strengthens the facial muscles and throat. It’s said to maintain your jaw line and prevent sagginess.

Personally, I’ve found that it’s a great for eradicating feeling of lethargy and sluggishness as it’s very stimulating. Due to the use of a strong outbreath with a roaring sound, it’s a great way to release pent up emotion and tension too! 

In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a classic fifteenth century Sanskrit manual on yoga, says that Simhasana ‘is held in great esteem by the highest yogis. This most excellent asana facilitates the three bandhas’.

The traditional seated position used in Simhasana induces the three major Bandhas or locks. Bandhas are used to control the flow of energy and prevent prana from dissipating. They are therefore sometimes translated as 'seals'. When all three locks are engaged, it’s called  ‘Maha Bandha’ or the great lock. In yoga Maha Bandha is highly regarded and recommended. 

In a culture where it’s deemed important to look cool and beautiful, this technique might put some people off.  It usually sets off some giggling in the class! With this impressive list of the positive benefits of Simhasana, I think it’s worth risking looking a bit strange or foolish.

So next time you’re in need of a little pick me up or feeling a bit stressed, try using your lion/lioness power! I recommend doing this in a private place, not because you might look weird but it might scare people!!

Sight Loss Insight

I’ve just received the Spring issue of Spectrum, the official magazine of the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY), and really excited to see another of my articles featured!

Last year, I wrote an article on the balancing benefits of yoga retreats and this year on how yoga teachers can make classes more accessible for students with visual impairment.

This was written after running a charity event called ‘Yoga in the Dark’ for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) at the Bristol Yoga Centre. Here is the full article:

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In the UK, there are more than 2 million people living with sight loss. For yoga teachers, this means that we are likely to encounter students with visual impairment and it’s important that we try to make yoga accessible for them.

It’s crucial to understand that being registered blind doesn’t simply mean you can’t see anything. As Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) emphasise: ‘Not everybody sees the same. Just because someone is blind, doesn’t mean they see nothing – and if someone is partially sighted, it doesn’t mean their vision is fine’. RNIB have some excellent online videos which illustrate this point very well.

My first experience teaching a student with sight loss was with Anela, a young female student who had severe visual impairment since birth. After a year of weekly private classes, she was able to do most postures, including Sun Salutations, inversions and balancing poses. Anela could follow the class much more easily than her support worker! I was lucky to be able to teach her as it changed my perception of what someone who is registered blind is capable of and I felt more confident about teaching people with sight loss.  

Shortly afterwards, I taught a very different student with visual impairment in a Community Exercise group yoga class. Sue was an elderly student that suffered from arthritis and anxiety; she was also gradually loosing her eyesight and understandably found it difficult to cope. After several months of practicing together, she told me how much more relaxed and confident she felt in her day-to-day life. She said that she no longer felt terrified about falling and found it easier to go out and visit friends and family.

Both students expressed how beneficial breathing practice and relaxation techniques were for managing stress and anxiety. It cannot be easy living in a society that is so visually orientated. If yoga can bring more confidence and help with everyday challenges, then we should make every effort to make it more accessible. 

So how do we adapt our teaching to accommodate people with sight loss? As there is a wide spectrum of visual impairment, it’s important to take a look at the individual and adapt the practice according to their needs and abilities. You will need to decide whether private tuition may be more suitable at the beginning. It is crucial not to immediately assume that they cannot do certain things or learn to do them. With time and carefully structured practice, I have seen people achieve tremendous results.

At the beginning, it can be easier to concentrate on supine and seated postures. This way, students can gain confidence and feel more grounded. It’ll be a good time to explore relaxation and breathing techniques too. Floor work can be a great opportunity to do simple balancing postures and prepare the students for standing poses.

Use a wall or a chair for support in standing and balancing postures, as some poses can be really challenging when you cannot see. Flowing sequences such as Sun Salutation can be harder to follow so it’s important to break it down and get students really comfortable with each of the postures first.

Our communication has to be clear and simple as your verbal instructions and ‘hands on’ adjustment are what they’ll be relying on. Try to speak slowly and use creative language to get your message across but be careful not to sound patronising. Teaching the names of the postures as they are learning will help with your instruction.

When I was preparing for my first lesson with Anela, I tried practicing yoga with my eyes closed. This did not exactly recreate the experience of practicing with a visual impairment, but it did provide some useful insight, such as how challenging it is to do simple standing and balancing postures and even stay on the mat!

I recently organised a charity event for RNIB called ‘Yoga in the Dark’ to raise awareness of people living with sight loss. The event was open to everyone and we practiced in a lovely candle lit room while wearing eye masks. One of the participants said,

‘I really liked the slow build up to standing postures, which helped everyone feel confident before doing poses that rely more on our sight. It was great how you helped people to do the postures correctly.’

Another student commented on how nice it was to rest the eyes and focus on the other senses. Most people said they had to concentrate much more but it was a meditative experience.  

Teaching people with limited vision makes you really concentrate on your communication and adjustment skills. I hope that more teachers will be encouraged to consider ways to accommodate blind and partially sighted people, as there are great rewards for teachers and students alike.

To learn more about the excellent RNIB ‘In the Dark’ events, visit: www.rnib.org.uk/in-the-dark

Written by Naomi Hayama. Naomi is a yoga teacher and owner of Bristol Yoga Centre. She has been a member of BWY since 2003. Please feel free to contact her at Naomi@bristolyogacentre.co.uk

Winter Yoga Practice

Now that the Christmas season is over, people are eager to start something new and to try and stick to their New Year’s resolutions. There is a buzzing in the air that’s hard to ignore!

Around this time, we get lots of new students joining and although it’s a good time to start new classes, it’s important to slowly build up your practice. You may feel attracted to active yoga classes but it often makes sense to take your time and work more gently in the winter.

In nature, everything slows down: many animals hibernate and plants even die back to prepare for spring and the activity ahead. It makes sense to take a leaf out of nature's book and practice in a way that honours the season.

This should help to avoid ‘Blue Monday’ which falls around the third Monday of January and is said to be the most depressing day of the year. It’s believed that Blue Monday occurs because of a combination of factors like cold weather and failing our New Year’s resolution, but I believe one of the main culprits is exhaustion. Many people end up feeling like they need to accomplish lots of things at the start of the year and end up burning out. Instead of (literally) running around trying to do everything, it's best to slow down and focus on things that energise us.

After the festivities, I’ve also been feeling tired and dispersed. It was a lovely break with plenty of socialising with family and friends, but once I was back at work there was lots of catching up to do! I felt like I should be doing more, but deep down I knew that I first needed to slow down and rejuvenate.

So recently in my practice, I’ve been focusing on restorative postures and slow long held sequences that encourage concentration and grounding. I’ve also been doing more breathing and relaxation techniques to revitalise.

It’s really important to observe and adjust our practice to honour where we are. This can be challenging as we often end up doing things that we think are right rather than really listening to ourselves. Spending some time at the beginning of the practice to feel and reflect on our experience is essential. Our practice can then help us achieve more balance throughout the changing seasons.

What is your original nature, snow man?

- Natsume Soseki from Zen Poems

Sankalpa: Positive Intention

This is the time of the year when people start thinking about making New Year resolutions, but I have always felt a little sceptical as they are often forgotten or ditched within a few weeks.

Sankalpa has been compared to a New Year’s resolution but it’s not about goal making or wishing for things to be different. Sankalpa is to do with exploring what’s behind the thoughts or feelings of our aims and trying to find deeper meaning in our lives. New Year’s resolutions tend to focus on the future and aiming to correct negative aspects of our selves and often only feed our desires and ego. Where as, Sankalpa is about being in the present moment and aligning with the deepest part of you. As Philip Moffitt, a yoga teacher and Buddhist said,

‘You set your intentions based on understanding what matters most to you and make a commitment to align your actions with your inner values. As you gain insight though meditation, wise reflection, and moral living, your ability to act from your intentions blossoms’.

Sankalpa comes from Sankskrit word ‘San’ which means altogether and ‘Kalpa’ from ‘Kalpana’ meaning idea or vow. This is often translated to will, purpose or determination. It also means connecting and committing to our highest truth. It is believed that the concept of Sankalpa stems from the Vedic times.

A Sankalpa practice starts from the radical notion that you are already who you need to be and you only need to look deep inside you to find your true purpose in life. Discovering your Sankalpa is about really listening to the deepest part of yourself. It’s completely opposite to believing that some how you are not good enough unless you achieve certain goals or get what you want. Sankalpa should provide you with true self-confidence and peace of mind and assist you to overcome challenges in life. Just knowing your Sankalpa then becomes a blessing and a guide, independent of whether you achieve certain goals or not.

Richard Miller, a psychologist and teacher in the Advaita Vedanta said that there are three stages of listening process:

1. Sravana: Willingness to listen through meditation
2. Manana: To be able to welcome and take in the message.
3. Nididhyasana: To respond and act your Sankalpa with commitment.

One of the most powerful practices for planting the seed of Sankalpa is Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep). Yoga Nidra systematically relaxes the body and mind and guides you into deep awareness. You are aware and awake but you experience a disidentification from the body and mind. As Anne Douglas, a yoga therapist explains, ‘In Yoga Nidra, we discover a profound level of openness. Our self-imposed limitations dissolve, and we are pure being’. Sankalpa are made and repeated three times at the beginning and at the end of Yoga Nidra. Your resolve should be in the form of a short positive statement set in the present tense and normally starts with ‘I am...”. For example, I am peaceful, I am compassionate or I am free. It should be repeated with feeling and commitment.

Naomi will be running ‘Yoga for the New Year’ workshop, which will takes a look at the concept of Sankalpa (positive intention) and apply this to a meditation practice.

For meditation practice, you can try going to our weekly class called ‘Meditate, relax and stretch’ with Kay on Wednesday morning or attend her workshop ‘The deep quiet within - Meditation & Practices’.

To experience Yoga Nidra, you can sign up to ‘iRest Yoga Nidra workshop’ with Sara-Jo in the New Year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Pawanmuktasana series (wind releasing sequence)

I realised that I’ve mentioned Pawanmuktasana in couple of my other blogs (Sukhasana and Yoga for Neck & Shoulders) previously and haven’t yet explained what it is!

Pawankuktasana is a series of exercises developed by the Bihar School of Yoga to free-up tension, improve circulation and limber the whole body. It’s a gentle and effective movement that can be practiced by everyone. It works by using slow repetitive movements with the breath. You probably have come across some of these exercises in your yoga class as they are often used as a warm up.

In Sanskrit ‘Pawan’ means wind or energy,‘mukta’ means release, and ‘asana’ are the postures, these remove blockages especially in the joints and muscles. This is why Pawanmuktasana is some times translated as the Joint Freeing Series.

There are three series, each targeting specific areas of our body and mind:

1.     Anti rheumatic for loosening joints of the body

2.     Digestive and abdominal group

3.     Shakti Bandha or energy block

These sequences become more challenging as they progress and the Pawanmuktasana series 3 requires quite a bit of flexibility in the ankles, legs and hips, which are addressed in the earlier series. To see the complete series, take a look at the book ‘Asana Pranayama Mudra and Bandha’ by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Alternatively, it can be found online here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzQU4lQUnwA

Mukunda Stiles, founder of Yoga Therapy centre, condensed the Pawanmuktasana series to a shorter more accessible format. See here for an example of his work. This is an excellent progressive sequence that gently works the whole body. I’ve used this sequence in my yoga classes and students have commented on how relaxing and meditative it is, they were also surprised how energised they felt afterwards.

Pawanmuktasana series are referred to as Sukshma Vyayama, which actually means subtle practice. As Swami Satyananda Saraswati says, ‘it should never be ignored and treated casually just because the practices are simple, gentle and comfortable’.

The easy joint and muscle movements not only increase flexibility of the body, but also the mind. As the mind focuses on the movement, breath and energy, it begins to settle and relax. Our practice then becomes an exquisite moving meditation. It’s beautiful to witness this in action, as Leonardo da Vinci says ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’.

Yoga for Neck & Shoulder Tension Relief

On a recent holiday to a small cottage I quickly noticed that there was no WiFi! This forced me to have a week (almost) without looking at a screen. I was amazed how much tension was released from my upper back.

I’ve always had tension in my shoulders and I tried lots of different techniques from physiotherapy, acupuncture and massage but none of them had any lasting effect. On the first day back to work, I immediately noticed tension creeping back in my head, neck and shoulders. 

Here are some simple tips I used to keep the my neck and shoulders relaxed, even though I was back to the modern world:

1. Rest your eyes

Our sight is of the most stimulated senses so it’s really beneficial to rest our eyes regularly.  Staring at screen for long period of time can easily lead to headaches and tension building up in the neck and shoulders. I understand that mobile devices are really useful, but it’s important to try and take some time off whenever you can.

Take the time to relax completely in Savasana (full relaxation pose) for at least 10 minutes every day. Try using an eye pillow or something to cover your eyes to help you to relax more easily. Your eyes and brain are closely associated and it will help to settle your mind. Don’t forget to switch off your mobile!

2. Improve your posture

Our posture has major effect on our body and if we spend a lot of time hunched over our desk, the muscles in our upper body can get tight and unbalanced.  Even if you don’t have a desk job, we tend to do repetitious work, which causes tension and imbalance.

Doing regular asana (posture) practice is a great way to improve your alignment and increase your awareness of your posture. Whenever you sit, or do any activity for a long period of time, try to be aware of your posture and encourage balance.

3. Take the weight off your shoulders

We tend to carry lots of tension and stress in our shoulders; this is partly because our head is comparatively heavy for the intricate neck muscles. We easily get into the habit of rounding our shoulders and jetting our head forwards, bringing lots of strain into our neck. We can sometimes grip through our jaw and tense our arms and hands, which also causes the upper-body to become tight.

Pawanmuktasana exercises are designed to release tension in the joints and muscles. Series 1 is especially good for relaxing the shoulders, arms and hands. Many of the exercises are gentle circular movements that are great for soothing aches and pains.

4. Breathe Deeply

Breathing properly is one of the most important ways of reducing stress and tension. Most of the time we should be breathing slowly and deeply, but unfortunately many of us have learnt to breathe shallow and fast. This way of breathing can lead to unnecessary tension in the neck and shoulders, especially when we breathe into our upper chest instead of the diaphragm.  It’s made even worse by bad posture: squashing the front body makes it harder for us to breathe easily.

Whenever possible practice abdominal breathing. Remove any tight clothing especially around the chest and waist so that the breath can move smoothly. Make sure that there is plenty of space in the front body, especially your chest and the belly. Visualise breathing down into the belly to slow and lengthen your breath.

Beginners Guide to Bristol Yoga Centre

This is a guide for brand new students who are interested in coming along to Bristol Yoga Centre. If you’ve never attended a yoga or Pilates class before… don’t worry, everyone was once a beginner and there are always new pupils joining. All our teachers are friendly, experienced and really helpful so you’re in safe hands!

So, how do I get started?

1. Find a class

Our class guide is great for helping you to choose which class to attend by finding something perfectly suited to your needs. If your still not sure you can always contact us for advice on which class would suit you best. You can then check our timetable to see our current available classes.

2. Get in touch with the teacher

Once you have selected the class you want to go to, it’s helpful to contact the teacher and let them know that you will be coming. You can also ask any questions about the class and find out more information too.

This is a good time to let them know you're a beginner. It’s also really useful to tell them about any medical or health issues you may have.

3. Payment

 At Bristol Yoga Centre, we have a range of payment options. The cheapest way to attend is to pay for multiple classes in advance, by signing up for a term or buying a 5-class card. You don’t need to wait until the new term starts, you can join any time and pay pro-rata.

I’m afraid we don’t accept cards, so payment will need to be arranged in advance by bank transfer or you can use cheque or cash. Please pay the teacher directly at the studio or in advance.

See here for more details on our prices. 

4. Avoid eating a large meal

As you will be doing exercises, please avoid eating just before the class. If you’re really hungry, eating banana or energy bar would be the best option.

We have a small kitchen where you can fill up your water bottle.

5. Wear comfortable clothes

You don’t need a specialist outfit to do yoga or Pilates but it is best to wear comfortable clothes that allow you to move freely such as a T shirt and leggings or tracksuit bottoms.

Yoga is normally practiced bare-foot but if you like to wear socks it’s best to get some that are non-slip.

We have yoga mats and other equipment available in the studio but feel free to bring your own matt if you like. 

6. Arrive 5 – 10 minutes before the class starts

On your first day, it’s a good idea to try and arrive at least 5 to 10 minutes before the class. This way you can take your time and relax before the class starts. It will give you enough time to speak to the teacher and get to know the other students too.

There is quite a difference between some of the Pilates and yoga classes we offer in terms of physical intensity and styles of movement, so it’s really worth exploring which class works best for you. They can take a little time to settle in to so it’s best to do at least couple of classes before deciding whether it’s a good choice.

If you’re not comfortable to begin in a group class or have personal requirements, you may like to consider having private lessons. Private lessons are great for getting tailored classes to suit your needs and schedule. 

I hope you find a class that will bring you great personal benefit and enjoyment!

3 Reasons to do Yoga in the Morning

I have practiced yoga first thing in the morning for several years and believe that it’s the best time to do yoga.  Here are 3 good reasons to do yoga in the morning.

1. Feel great for the rest of the day

Morning yoga practice will help you to wake up, feel energised and refreshed for the rest of the day.  You will be more supple and relaxed, and be in much better mindset for the day ahead

2. You can focus on your practice

Yoga is traditionally practiced early in the morning. One of the main reasons for this is concentration. There is so much going on during the day that it’s easy to get distracted. I occasionally practice later in the day and I’ve found it much more challenging to focus. It can also be tempting to skip your practice altogether if you don’t have a set schedule. Which leads me into the third reason for doing yoga in the morning...

3. It’s easier to motivate yourself

At the end of the day when your feeling tired from work, it can be hard to motivate yourself to get on the mat - even if it’s a lovely thing to do! Also, if you’ve already completed the practice in the morning, you can go home and relax or go out instead.

 Why don’t you try coming along to our fabulous morning classes at Bristol Yoga Centre?

• Monday 7:45am Yoga & Pilates 
• Tuesday 7am Energising morning Yoga
• Wednesday 7:15am Vinyasa Flow Yoga
• Thursday 7:30am Ashtanga Yoga

To see Bristol Yoga Centre's full timetable.

Yoga for Stress

By letting go, it all gets done - Lao Tzu

We often think that we are relaxed when watching TV or cycling. Whilst these can be more relaxing than going to work or driving the kids around, they are still bombarding our senses. Yoga is a great remedy for stress as it teaches you how to relax fully. 

Relax the yoga way

One of the main causes of chronic stress is our inability to release tension and strain once the cause of the stress has passed. We often worry and carry the disturbance with us long after an incident has taken place. This can cause many of us to suffer tension in our head, neck and upper back. We physically carry the weight of the world on our shoulders! In Savasana (full relaxation), we take the weight off and our body can begin to really relax and rejuvenate.

Be with the breath

Bringing our awareness to our breathing enables us to be in the present moment, rather than focusing on the past or future. Breathing properly means that our body is being supplied with the right amount of oxygen, replenishing our brain and other vital organs.

Balance the nervous system

Yoga also helps our nervous system to rebalance after a challenge has passed. In our practice, we often alternate between strenuous poses and gentler postures, conditioning us to move easily between states of challenge and rest. This teaches us to let go and release once the challenges have been met.

Regular Asana practice

Doing regular asanas keeps our body and mind balanced, strong and flexible. It also relieves muscular tension and mobilise our joints.  If you are feeling healthy, it’s much easier to handle stress and worries.  

Learning to accept change

Often, we feel really stressed when going through changes. Just like stress, changes are an inevitable part of living. Therefore, it’s worth learning techniques to help us when these changes become challenging. When we practice mindfully every day, we can become inquisitive about the process of change and every moment becomes fascinating.

I am running a short relaxation and stress relief workshop on 4th June. Come and learn how to relax fully and ward off stress! This will be a lovely Sunday afternoon event supporting Bristol Mind, a mental health charity who do great work in Bristol.  

We have also scheduled a new meditation workshop on stress and life management on Sunday 2nd July by Kay Baxter at the Bristol Yoga Centre studio. 

Happy Easter Practice: Bunny Hops

In my yoga classes this week, we had a spring theme. Spring is a great time of the year with hive of activities; flowers blooming and birds singing. It feels like everything’s opening into action after the long months of winter. We did ‘Brahmari’ (the bees breath) and practiced some spontaneous movements to open the body. Excitingly, we also tried doing some bunny hopping :)

It’s an exhilarating and fun way to learn jump back and it’s incredibly strengthening. ‘Jump back’ is often used in Ashtanga style of sun salutation sequence.  I found that people were less intimidated by bunny hopping, perhaps because of the name!

In this method, you will be coming into a posture called ‘Malasana’ (wide squatting position). Practicing Malasana is a fantastic way to open the hips and strengthen the legs, ankles and feet.

Preparation

I recommend that you warm up by doing movements that open the hips such as ‘Anjaneyasana’ (low lunge) and ‘Prasarita Padottanasana’ (wide-legged forward bend. Also try doing some ‘Half Sun Salutation and Modified Sun Salutation’, and release the wrist and ankles by gently circling through the joints in both directions.

How to do bunny hops

How to do bunny hops by Naomi from Everyday Yoga & Bristol Yoga Centre.

Start in ‘Adho Mukha Svanasana’ (downward facing dog).  Begin by stepping one leg at a time, forwards and back few times. When your comfortable with the movement, try hopping both feet forwards, just behind your hands, and gently hop back into downward facing dog. Repeat this several times. On your last go, try holding in Malasana for several breaths. Return back to downward facing dog and rest in ‘Balasana’ (childpose). Finish your practice by doing ‘Savasana’ (Full relaxation pose).

Finally take a few moments to feel the effects of the practice by sitting in a comfortable seated posture and contemplate on Haiku poem on spring by Osho, Zen master.

Sitting Silently,

Doing nothing,

Spring comes,

And the grass grows by itself.

Savasana (Full Relaxation Pose)

‘Proper relaxation is a gift everyone of us should give to our bodies each and everyday’ - Tara Fraser, a senior yoga teacher.

After the Christmas and New Year, we often take up new activities and projects, and run around trying to achieve our goals. Whilst it’s a great time to take on new things and reflect on our intentions, it’s really easy to over do it and end up feeling burnt out.

Relaxation is a key element in yoga practice; Savasana or ‘the full relaxation pose’ is the ultimate position for relaxation…as the name implies. It is one of the most important asanas as it teaches us how to release physical and mental tension and assimilate the practice we have completed. Allowing time to reflect and absorb our actions will enhance their benefits.

It’s easy to over look simple poses like Savasana but I have found that it’s often one of the most powerful ones to do regularly. Savasana teach us important lesson of letting go. Experts believe that one of the primary causes of chronic stress is inability to release worries and strain. We often hold on to these feelings and tension even when the stressful situation has long passed. Practicing Savasana regularly is a great way to notice how we are and encourages us to let go.

Savasana is often translated as the corpse pose and is synonymous to Mrtasana, which means death pose. The pose symbolises death and letting everything go. No longer trying to do or analyse but letting everything be as it is.

At a first glance, it may seem like the easiest pose to practice but it can actually be one of the hardest postures to do properly. It can be challenging to relax fully whilst maintaining full awareness. It’s very easy to be lost in our thoughts or just fall asleep! As with most things, the more you practice, the easier it becomes; so I recommend doing this pose regularly.

Savasana is normally practiced at the end of asana practice but it can also be done at the beginning or on it’s own. When I feel depleted and tired, I often spend 5 -10 minutes (longer if I have the time) in Savasana to rejuvenate. It has a quality of a power nap and is incredibly restorative. As Gheranda Samita, one of the three classical text on Hatha Yoga says ‘Lying flat on the ground like a corpse is called Mrtasana. This posture destroys fatigue, and quietens the agitation of the mind’ - Chapter 2, verse 11. After practicing Savasana, the body feels rested and the mind becomes less cluttered and clearer. You will also have more energy to do what you want.

To practice this pose, it’s important to spend some time ensuring that you are as comfortable as possible. Make sure that you are lying down in a balanced way and allow yourself to relax completely. Use as many props as you need such as blankets, cushions and eye pillow. Blankets can be placed over the top of the body to keep warm or folded up and placed under any part of the body for support.  Cushions can be used to prop up the head or used under the knees to release your back. I highly recommend using eye pillow as it will help you to relax your face and head. Experiment and see what works for you.

If you are pregnant, it’s not advisable to spend too long on your back so choose to lie down on the left side of the body.

Once you are in Savasana, gently watch over your body, breath and mind. Try to observe your thoughts without becoming attached to them, by feeling your body and keeping yourself connected to the ebb and flow of your breath. Simply learning to observe your thoughts in this way will help to calm your mind.

If you are worried about falling a sleep, try setting a timer or a gentle alarm. When you are ready to end the practice, come out slowly and take the time to notice the effects of Savasana. Sit quietly and observe how you feel.

Home Practice Over Christmas

I promised some of my students I'd provide some home practice sheets for them to use over Christmas and New Year while my classes are closed. I thought I'd post them up here so you can all have a go. I tried to create a short rounded practice that is accessible for everyone.

There are two sheets: ‘Balanced Home Practice’ and 'Half & Modified Sun Salutation'. It’s optional to do half or full sun salutation and the number of rounds you do is up to you. If you have trouble accessing these files, feel free to contact me.

Try to avoid drinking or eating prior to practice and wear comfortable clothes that enables you to move freely. Use whatever props and modifications which are necessary to suit your needs. Try to really connect to the body and avoid over-doing it. Remember to keep breathing slowly and deeply without forcing. One of the most common mistakes is to rush. Take your time and do your practice slowly and mindfully.

If you enjoyed the practice and are looking for more, there are many good online yoga classes available. I recommend https://www.ekhartyoga.com/ and https://www.gaia.com/yoga but both have a subscription fee. Alternatively you can use Youtube or use google search to find free yoga videos.

Whilst online videos are great, I think it’s also important to do home practice quietly so that you can focus and connect to yourself more easily. I have recently written two blogs on home practice and I recommend reading these as well. Also take a look at Yoga For Your Back and Restorative Yoga sequence for more ideas on home practice.

I hope you enjoy doing your personal practice over the festive season. I wish you all a very good holidays!