Learn how to build your internal heat and bring discipline to your yoga practice without getting burnt along the way with this niyama, tapas. Say What? Tapas (not to be confused with delicious Spanish nibbles) is like fire. Derived from the Sanskrit word ‘tap’ which means ‘to burn’, Ashtanga teacher Melanie Cooper calls it the […]
Ever looked in the mirror and not liked what you see? Ever criticised yourself for being too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short? Do you congratulate yourself on your long legs, flat stomach or shiny hair? Whether it’s positive or negative, these thoughts and beliefs towards ourselves are a classic example of our ego
With all the different styles of yoga out there today, it’s becoming more and more difficult to tell them apart! What is the difference between hot yoga and Bikram? If Bikram is hot yoga does that make all hot yoga Bikram? From an outside eye this probably looks like a true statement, but let’s step
What can’t you live without? Whether it’s not knowing when to say no to that last drink, eating one too many cakes, or even being attached to how you think your body should look on the yoga mat, attachment isn’t about giving up the pleasures in life, more about learning how to enjoy them. Renounce
Lululemon has long been a lifestyle brand, famous for its athleisure and athletic gear. From their visual branding to the classes they hold in store, Lululemon has been synonymous with sweating your way to health and happiness in high performance, fashionable kit. The brand’s latest campaign takes a step beyond offering a lifestyle, however: now,
How ancient gestures can boost your health, enhance your yoga and deepen your meditation. Every so often it’s fun to add a new layer to your practice. Something that takes you a little further into the yoga experience, sheds new light on familiar territory, or guides the way towards uncharted realms within. Mudras can do
The subject of yoga is like Doctor Who’s tardis. Despite its apparent simplicity, yoga, once opened up seems to be as vast as the universe itself. Take, for example, the path of yoga. It’s the eight-limbed path, right? Well yes, but, no, wrong. There are actually three other yogic paths, that are also routes to
Vrksasāsana, or tree pose, is truly one of the most recognisable and iconic of yoga poses. It is a wonderful hip and core strengthener; develops balance and teaches focus. Done well it is incredibly grounding and fits equally well in a class or as a stand-alone pose to calm and soothe. Want to know how
New research indicates that yoga can increase the thickness of the cortex – the brain’s language and memory control centre. A recent study from Brazil has revealed evidence that regular yoga practice can help ‘train’ the brain. “In the same way as muscles, the brain develops through training”, says Elisa Kozasa of Hospital Israelita Albert
Of the 12 systems of the body, the skeletal system is probably one of the best known. We’ve all seen X-Rays, skeletons in the doctor’s surgery and ‘spooky’ Halloween costumes. Bones are rigid and don’t generally change unless we break one, right? What is there to know about the skeletal system and yoga that could possibly be
