Monthly Archives: April 2013

Choose What Feels Good

216_25063350623_3198_nAs I am writing this I am preparing for my second Brighton yoga workshop in based on the Sacral Chakra. This is the energy centre that enables us to do what feels good for us, nurture ourselves and put our needs first. When this is flowing our creative and sexual expression is alive too.

A sign that your sacral chakra is blocked is when:

  • there are lots of should dos on your to do list
  • you are feeling stuck and risk adverse
  • you are blaming others for your unhappiness
  • you are suffering from guilt

Ultimately you are feeling drained, depressed and unable to get out of it.

Even though the common misconception is that to put your needs is being selfish, how much help are you to others when you are in a negative energy state like this? When you are doing something because you feel you should do rather than when you actually really want to you are not going to be giving off a very positive energy are you? People can pick up on this.

When you take care of your needs, do things that bring you joy and take responsibility for the things in your life you wish to change you’ll feel alive, nourished and fully able then to be able to help others from a place of love rather than duty.

Deepak Chopra teaches that the sacral chakra is linked with the universal law of least effort. Basically put this is that nature just flows with effortless ease, the flowers do not strain to open, the trees loose their leaves in winter then naturally start to bloom again in Spring, the tides eb and flow. There need be no force to make it happen.

When we try to force something to happen we just create tension, and are likely to push it even further away. When the energy through your sacral chakra is flowing you are feeling joy and have the energy to create what you wish for in your life.

Steps to enliven the law of least effort in your life are to;

  1. Practice acceptance, this doesn’t mean you have to like it but accept you are at where ever you are right now. Give up resistance.
  2. Then take responsibility in the areas you wish to create change. Rather than blaming circumstances, yourself, other people look at what steps you can to create change and to feel good about the situation.
  3. Always choose the option of what feels good for you. Use how your body feels as a barometer. If you smile, get butterflies, get a warm glow, heart leaps, tingle with excitement, a rush of energy sweeps over you, you get goose bumps or even a sudden peace floods through you –   these are generally some of the signs you are on the right path!

By looking after yourself and choosing joy, you will in turn be helping others. It’s the least selfish act you can do as when you are feeling good this creates a ripple effect with everyone you come into connect with.

My next workshop is on 4th May and will be based around the solar plexus chakra in our stomach. This is the energy centre where we fully acknowledge our unique talents and gifts for the world, which in turn gives us self confidence and personal power. The flip side of this is fear; fear of failure and being judged for showing the world who we truly are. To book your place on this next workshop please email me; [email protected]

Namaste x

What To Expect From Your First Yoga Class

YogaSince starting to teach yoga and through chatting to people who are considering coming to a yoga class for their first time I have been told that it can feel a little daunting. Concerns that have been voiced to me have been inflexibility, not knowing or being able to do any of the postures right down to not being sure what to wear.

From the outside it may appear like you have to be a super bendy lean god or goddess that can contort into all manner of positions at the drop of a hat. This really is not what it’s all about.

One of the things I love about yoga is the belief that “where ever you are at right now is perfect”. What ever your body can do in the moment you are in the class is exactly where you are meant to be. There must be no strain or pushing yourself, this only leads to injury.

As with everything in yoga this is a concept that can spill over to the rest of your life too.

The word asana is the yogic term for pose and means sitting down or seat. In Patanjali’s Yoga sutras, (yogic philosophy) he suggests that asana is “to be seated in a position that is firm, but relaxed”. This means that once you have got into the pose/asana, as much as you can that day, you are then to focus on feeling comfortable in it. Never is there to be any force or pain.

So where ever your body or mind is at when you come to your first yoga class this is perfect. I certainly can not do every posture under the sun. Our bodies are all different, so some asana will be easier or more difficult than others.

Before getting into yoga I was a keen long distance runner, regularly training for half marathons. When I started yoga my hamstrings and lower back were so stiff I couldn’t hardly touch my toes let alone do all sorts of other postures. Just taking slowly class by class it was amazing to see how flexibility does improve little by little.

If you are considering going to a yoga class here are a few things to help you know what to expect and to make it an enjoyable experience;

1) Wear comfortable clothes. For ladies I recommend choosing a top that won’t ride up or bother you at all. Same with trousers; short or long leggings or loose pants that go in around the ankle are best. You basically don’t want to be worrying about anything suddenly being exposed!

2) Don’t eat up to 2 hours before the class, this really helps you to feel comfortable in the postures and lighter. For example twisting your tummy will not feel good if it’s full of food.

3) Go to the loo before you go into class, this sounds basic but feeling like you need it will really distract you! Lying on your tummy does not feel nice if you are bursting! You can of course leave mid class to go if you need to, but it just helps to reduce the need to do this.

4) Cutting out an sugar or caffeine before a class will help to calm your mind and will help you balance. They speed up the mind so it’s hard to be totally calm when they are in your system.

5) Go near the back and then you can watch what other people are doing! If there are just a few people in the class then that’s great too, usually the teacher will come and offer you any help if you look stuck or they feel there is something you could try to make it feel easier.

6) The teacher will give you verbal and sometimes visual instructions on how to get into each asana, so no need to worry about knowing exactly how to do everything.

7) Yoga is not a competitive sport, as mentioned above where ever you are at right now is perfect. In a class people are more concerned about what they are doing and focusing on their breath rather than watching what you are up to.

Please do feel free to email me any questions about yoga. It really is a lovely thing to do, yes your flexibility and strength will grow but it’s so much more than that. It quietens the constant chatter of your mind, it gets rid of toxins and floods your body with fresh nutrients and oxygen. It helps you to be in the present moment, to open your heart and to release stored up emotions.

With so many benefits to be had why not just give it a go? 🙂

Namaste

(which means “the light with in my acknowledges the light with in you”)

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