Gratitude Yoga

Gratitude Yoga

thank you yoga

thank you so much for giving me a place to land

for opening channels of prana each morning to flow through the day

much gratitude yoga as we fold and bow and step down

chakral realignment

cultivating the glow

a service to keep my life straight

an offering to spiral with change

a power rising to the top

rooting in four directions

prayer pose with gratitude

yoga thank you for shaping my life

for ringing me out and inviting me in

this gift is for everyone

thankyou with the essence of a million universes

light and dark interwoven

to balance and grace our gaze

oneness

Recently returned from a fortnight B.C. visit to some friends, I have some yoga travel photos to share! More to come as I am doing a yoga photo shoot with my photographer friend soon! Yoga photos can be important to spread the visual inspiration to practice as well as giving others an idea of your presence as an instructor. Often then can be quite instructional in terms of posture and form. Also i think its just awesome to do yoga poses in interesting places and document the process as an artistic photo journal of one's yogic journeys. Thanks for visiting the Happy Prana blog!

 

Sage Pose I & II: Bharadvajasana

Thankyou for these adaptations from:

"YOGA MIND, BODY and SPIRIT: A Return to Wholeness -
for students of all levels and traditions" by Donna Farhi

Its always a delight to discover the sensations of a new asana in your practice! Sage Pose 1 and 2 have been added to my sadhana (practice) as of this morning. What an incredible and releasing twist! It took me a few tries to align my legs properly with the pillow prop. Its not very often that I use props on the mat, but this one is especially worth providing the extra support for. These are the instructions I've worded myself so please check other resources for variety and clarity. Please offer corrections or modifications if you have them. Give it a try until the pose "feels" right for your body.

In my practice I direct poses to the left first and then the right. Traditionally we twist or move to the right first. Shifting the motions to the left first honours our feminine goddess aspect. This is especially important since we practice so many sun salutations and often leave out moon salutations in common sequences. Experiment with awareness of your body's abilities. Exercise caution at all times and use the gentleness and compassion AHIMSA (non-violence) throughout your yogic experience!

Sage Pose 1

Breathe. Kneel in Vajrasana (sitting on heels). Shift the weight of the body to the left so that both left feet are to the side of the pelvis. Put a blanket or pillow prop under the left hip so that both sides of the pelvis are level. Breathe. Inhale, lengthening the spinal column through the crown. Exhale and twist to the left with the core and both arms/hands. Maintain breadth of chest by expanding shoulders. Breathe. Reach the left arm around the back and rest it there or lightly connect to the inside of the upper right arm.
Notice and Feel! Slowly release after the bind and repeat on the other side, adjusting the prop as needed.


Sage Pose 2

Breathe. Kneel in Vajrasana (sitting on heels) and extend the left leg. Cross the foot over the right thigh into a half lotus position. Breathe. Shift the weight of your body down slightly to just inside of the bent right leg. Put a blanket or pillow prop under the left hip so that both sides of the pelvis are level. Breathe. Inhale, lengthening the spinal column through the crown. Exhale and twist to the left with the core and both arms/hands. Maintain breadth of chest by expanding shoulders. Breathe. Reach the left arm around the back to take hold of the foot from the right side of the body. Breathe. Notice and Feel! Slowly release after the bind and repeat on the other side, adjusting the prop as needed.

Benefits, Cautions and Contraindications:

Releases hips and lower back. Opens the shoulders, chest and lungs. Stimulates the large and small intestines (digestion).

Only practice in first or second trimester of pregnancy if comfortable.

Namaste

Yoga Block Asanas!

Ayurvedic Oil Pulling Cleansing Technique

AYUR = LIFE      VEDA = KNOWLEDGE  :   AYURVEDA = LIFE KNOWLEDGE!

VERY EXCITED!

OK so as I type this, I am currently finishing up my first experience with.......

 

 Ayurvedic Oil Pulling!

 

The sensation felt a bit overwhelming at the beginning and at the very end of the experience. I was able to hold the oil in my mouth for 20 minutes relatively comfortably. You will notice that later when you spit it back out, the oil has turned into a milky white substance! Its best to perform this detox method in the morning. You will appreciate setting aside at least a full 1/2 hour to relax and experience this ancient behaviour. This can be a very detoxifying process, so nurture your body afterwards! I found it best to drink lots of water and eat fresh foods that day. Sometimes detox therapies can be intense and bring up toxins of various kinds in order to be eliminated. The practice of oil pulling is complimentary to other Ayurvedic observances. Treat yourself to a long yoga practice afterwards!

Method:

1 tbsp. unrefined sesame oil (do not injest!)

Rinse after with warm salt water

Gently swish the sesame oil around in your mouth for approx. 15 - 20 minutes. This is so the oil has enough time to pull out significant amounts of bacteria. It has to be give time to transform into a milky consistency. Do not swallow anything in this process! Breathe through the nose, keep the body calm. If you have to swallow, push the oil to the front of your mouth and swallow a small amount of saliva from the back of your mouth. Recommended to dispose of it in the toilet after, as the oil will probably contribute to clogging sink pipes. I found it nice to drink a mild concoction of hot water, pure honey and lemon, avoiding food or strong drinks for at least 1/2 hour  after the experience.

The idea is, that the oil draws out toxins in the body, especially the mouth. This technique has affected many aspects of health and is said to be curing for a large variety of ailments.

"The act of swishing oil in the mouth acts as a powerful cleanser, pulling out these potentially harmful substances and thus producing a serious detoxifying effect."

This Oil Pulling Website, along with other resources such as the Wandering Bodhi (referenced above) will provide a lot more information. There are other sources that will recommend sunflower seed oil or coconut oil. I would say its important to acquire exactly the right product for this exercise.

Oil Pulling is one of many Ayurvedic cleansing techniques that clean the body. More about these topics to come in the form of future experiential blog posts : )

Happy Prana Inspirational Intention of Today:

Willingness to Experiment: the Peace of having Patience with Yourself to Do something New!

Happy Prana Kids Yoga at Grickle Grass Fest 2013

The annual Grickle Grass Sustainability & Music Festival in London, Ontario was a hit again this year! An amazing afternoon of children's programming and evening of fun for the big kids with a plethora of musical entertainment. I was honoured to have the opportunity to volunteer and teach yoga throughout the day outside London's Children's Museum. It was an interesting and inspiring experience to teach a flow of short classes when a small or large group sat down on the mats in front of me! Constant ceremony of breath and movement, continuous ritual or summoning energy and practice. A lot of the little ones were responsive to trying something new in such a dynamic and high energy setting of the outdoor space! Very Happy Prana! Thank you Grickle Grass 2013!
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Yoga Groove Workshop May 11th

An honour to host the upcoming workshop "Yoga Groove" in London, Ontario! This Saturday May 11th from 1 - 2:30pm, I will be leading a yogic dance inspired practice as we move along our bodies and breath to the beat. Here is a sample of the dub flows we will be grooving to! The cost is $20 at the door of the Downtown Yoga Holistic Centre across from the Central Library on Dundas St. Come and explore asana, pranayama and musical rhythm combined! Hope to see you there to play and flow together : )