About PATIENCE in YOGA
Yoga is a journey, in which if we focus on enjoying each step, we manage to get a clearer picture of all parts of ourselves and learn to be patient. First, we learn to embrace and accept our bodies, our possibilities as well as our limitations. With patience, we can learn to support our bodies in the process, listen more to what is happening, witnessing the unfolding of the practice, instead of focusing on the final result.
Flexibility and Hypermobility in Yoga
The most sustainable way to work with flexibility is to focus on improved range of motion and improved strength together, not going too much into one direction or another, as too little stress on the joints creates atrophy and too much, progressive degeneration. If the focus is only on passive flexibility or stretching without concentrating on the strength to maintain it in time, then the risk of injury is always going to be present. Ideally we should never feel the stretching sensations in our joints directly, because this affects in time the ligaments which are not elastic by nature so they have a tendency to tear.
Most to least favourite Yoga posture
I believe there is always a reason why we love the poses we love and I definitely encourage students and teachers alike to keep on practicing them, since they are meant to ground us more, to restore our bodies, to nurture our minds and our energy. However, I think also getting out of our comfort zone at least sometimes, helps us grow a lot and learn more about ourselves. How we approach a posture is also a reflection on how we approach life.
Jnana Yoga explained or unlocking the path to wisdom
The word jñāna in Sanskrit means attaining knowledge of the true nature of reality, an exploration inwards to understand your essence beyond surface thoughts, feelings, and ego, like peeling the layers of an onion, with our self as the core, linked or connected to a higher Self in the universe. Learning and acquiring knowledge becomes an instrument to come closer to the truth and the divine essence inherent in all beings.
What teaching Yin Yoga has shown me: physical and emotional benefits
Observing without reacting or engaging. Separating the inner dialogue and patterns from the reality and the interconnectedness around us. Extending this beyond the mat becomes a new way of seeing and experiencing the world around us and managing external stimuli. It is a practice of being and staying present, even when it gets difficult. The stillness and silence create optimal conditions for perception to grow deeper, in regards to how we sustain the postures, how our body responds to each one of them, how our attention moves ever so softly.
Summer and Late Summer in Yin Yoga - element, organs and emotions
Yin Yoga in the summer, with its longer holds and stretch of the deeper connective tissues, can immensely help balance the season's Yang energy with a more grounding and introspective approach as well as a deeper connection to the body's natural rhythm, so it is recommended to do more Yin flows or slower gentle practices during this season than any other.
Yin Yoga and Summer season - meridians and postures
In Yin Yoga, summer's association with the Fire element and its related Heart and Small Intestine meridians can be addressed through poses that open the chest and heart and promote grounding, such as Thread the Needle, Twisted Child’s Pose, Open and Closed Heart, Banana or Crescent Moon pose and Melting Heart. These poses, when held for extended durations can help with improving digestion and calming the fire of the heart.
Shadow work in Yoga
The deeper we go into all the layers of a Yoga journey, the more we are bound to be confronted with both our light and shadow aspects of ourselves, a true rollercoaster of inner experiences. Like the relation between Yin and Yang, light and shadow, day and night, so our relation to life and Yoga can change or incorporate a duality, between idealization and disillusionment.
Yin Yoga and Spring season - meridians and postures
Our Western way of living, full of overstimulation can impact in a negative way the Qi/energy of both the liver and the gallbladder. When the liver and the gallbladder are imbalanced, one might experience high levels of stress, frustration, anger. Balancing the liver and gallbladder Qi can help cultivate calm, patience, a greater ability to deal with the day-to-day stress and to express oneself more freely and creatively.
Making Yoga classes that are inclusive and why this is important
In my belief, Yoga classes should be designed in a sustainable way, with full awareness, in order to accommodate a diverse range of bodies and levels. How can we teach and show that diversity fosters inclusion and therefore the idea that differences are acceptable and even necessary?
Yin practices and Autumn season - element, organs and emotions
An important component to autumn is the feeling of letting go, associated also with this period of acute changes. Autumn is a wonderful time to reflect on what is no longer needed and to let go of what no longer serves us. This can translate into something big like letting go of a person, a home or a situation, but can also refer to letting go of a belief, way of living or material possessions for instance. It's natural for us as humans to resist change or uncertainty, but once we understand how life itself is made entirely of change and uncertainty, then we might come to an understanding and acceptance of this in the long run and offer space for new beginnings and growth.
Range of motion and Yoga
The joints play a major role in everyone’s ROM and generally, it is not something that can be taken for granted; several factors can lead to a loss of ROM in time, for instance injury, improper posture, lifestyle, genetic factors or even too much movement. Respecting our boundaries in regards to our joints can help us preserve our ROM longer in time, whether we refer to our spine, knees, shoulders, hips or wrists.
Gratitude in Yoga
Gratitude is more than saying thank you out loud; gratitude is a way of seeing life, leading us to be more mindful about our thoughts, actions and speech, in order to attract more positive occurrences, people and situations, aligned with our values. Being thankful exists in the mind but gratitude comes from the heart.
The importance of the present moment
When you get those blissful pauses in your practice, let yourself settle instead of anticipating the next cue. Take your time and when it gets hard, notice how your mind reacts. Notice the miracle of breath flowing in and out. Notice what the mind says, how it talks to you, and just like in your meditation practice, gently guide it back to the body and breath.
About Integrity
Integrity is essential to all practitioners of Yoga because it creates a foundation of deep honesty upon which a practice can best be built. Moreover, integrity is fully expressed in the relation with oneself, in the way we honor commitments to ourselves, take time to be considerate of our actions, and represent our practice also outside the Yoga class.
Tension vs Compression in YOGA
Yoga is teaching us to practice ahimsa (non-violence) in our practice, to meet tension with kindness, respect the capacity of our bones, and help find our own intention (optimal health) and personal alignment by shaping the poses into our bodies and not the other way round.
How we process grief through Yoga
Whenever we feel like we need to numb or ignore our feelings, Yoga is a reminder not to shy away from those feelings. The only way to deal with uncomfortable emotions is to stay with them and learn to embrace them, knowing that feelings are temporary.
Subscribe to my newsletter