Prāna is a Sanskrit word that describes the foundation for all life. The literal translation means breath, or the breath of life, but this interpretation can lead to the mistaken conclusion that prāna is just another word for the air that we breathe. Prāna is much more than that, it is life energy. There is […]
Yoga asana practised without breath awareness is dangerously close to a gymnastics class. Pranayama literally and metaphorically brings oxygen – and energy – into the body, as it flows from posture to posture. In life, breathing without thinking about it is taken for granted, but when giving birth it’s important to pay attention to the
Ever felt completely connected to the world around you – whether you’re watching the sunset on a beautiful beach, playing with your children in the park, or simply relishing in the glow of a particularly inspiring yoga class? The sensation of spine-tingling energy travelling through the whole body, and of deep connection to yourself and others,
You may have heard a popular saying about the sun shining out of a certain body part when someone thinks too much of themselves, but in this article I’m going to state that the sun shines out of your Manipura Chakra, metaphorically speaking of course. Overview of Manipura The yellow chakra is called manipura which
Where would we be without our hands? We do so much with them. They express our innermost feelings even when we ourselves aren’t even aware of it, the opposable thumb and index finger give us the fine motor skills that differentiate us from most of the animal kingdom (bar the monkey family). Our hands are
Ever been in class and see someone looking very yogic and wise by making funny gestures with their hands? These are mudras, and they’re more powerful than they look. When used with awareness, mudras can alter our mood, change our attitude and increase our concentration. On advanced practitioners, it is thought that mudras can be
This year has been tough. We have all been impacted in some way or another by the Covid-19 pandemic. You might have caught the virus, and are still recovering. You might have lost someone you love. You will almost certainly have lost business, or been furloughed, had to change the way you work or lost
There is a cycle to life that’s happening around you and inside of you. Everything is connected and according to Ayurveda, comprised of the five elements: earth, air, fire, water, and space. And so, as the seasons change so do you. Thus, your experience is greatly determined by how in-tune you are with your mind
Over the past few weeks we’ve looked at the practice of mūla bandha, which no one can physically see you do. Uddiyana bandha on the other hand made you look like a superpowered yogi rockstar! We’re now moving on to jalandhara bandha which does little for your looks, but looks can be deceiving and this
If I asked you who you were, your answer would probably start with the words “I am…” followed by descriptive terms such as your age group, job title, family set-up, where you live and what you like to do. We are programmed to give expected answers to that question and we cherry-pick the responses we
