LotusFlowerYoga ॐ

Moved Over

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 09:04:00 +0100

Our new blog spot can be found on this link

http://lotusfloweryoga.blogspot.co.uk/

SALABHASANA - LOCUST POSE BENEFITS

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 20:44:00 GMT

Salabhasana - Locust pose week

This week we focused on the locust pose known as salabhasana in Sanskrit. Salabha means a Locust. The name comes from the posture looking like a locust resting on the ground (well here its on a flower).

www.colourbox.com

This posture and the many variations you can practice has so many wonderful benefits. Lets list just a few.

Aids Digestion
Relieves gastric troubles and flatulence
Relieves pain in the back, both the sacral and lumbar regions
The bladder and prostate glands also benefit from this posture and remain healthy
Stimulates the sympathetic nerve system
Helps posture
Promotes Kidney function
Tones the bum
Relieves stress

So as you can see many benefits to doing this pose.

So on a metaphysical level the spine represents the support of life. When we have trouble in the back may be its time to look a bit deep. The metaphysical cause is the deeper under lying reason as to why we are experiencing the pain and the body is trying to give you signals so that you can address the issues. Below i have listed the three areas of the back and i have touched on the metaphysical reflection.

Upper back (which we worked on) - Lack of emotional support, feeling unloved, holding back
Middle Back - Guilt, Stuck in all that stuff back there "Get off my back"
Lower Back - Fear of money, lack of financial support

So this is just a really brief description but each (33 vertebrae) vertebrae represents a metaphysical reflection but i am not going to going into that just now.

We worked on the heart space this week and as you can see above (if your struggling with this area of the back) it is connected to feeling unloved or holding back love along with a few other things. We worked on opening up the upper back and heart (heart chakra) by breathing into this space and practicing locust to create more space. This allows us to breath through things restricting us and in time allowing us to begin to give and receive more love freely - helping us break through insecurities and fears.

So if you feel a lack of love or you feel blocked to give love allow yourself to focus on this space, breath and may be practce this wonderful pose but make sure you warm up before going straight into any yoga pose.

We can all do with breathing into this space as well as working into back bends that nurture the spine.
Even if you do not have any problems in this upper area it will only do you good, as you will open up and allow your spine to recieve aswell as getting all the physical benefits i have listed above.

"Love is the bridge between you and everything" Rumi.

Below is a little video i created to share love and locust pose with you. I have added most variations we did in class apart from supported leg lift locust.

I have included the full locust (above and in video) which we didn't do as i would want to do one to one for safety reasons. But i am going to do a tutorial video for variations this week.

An affirmation you may wish to use if you are struggling in your upper back is:

"I love and approve of myself. Life supports and loves me."

References/resources

Books:

You Can Heal Your Life [Paperback]

Louise Hay

ISBN-10: 9780937611012
ISBN-13: 978-0937611012
ASIN: 0937611018

Heal Your Body [Paperback]

Louise Hay

Publisher: Hay House UK; 4th Ed., Expanded, Rev edition (1 July 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0937611352
ISBN-13: 978-0937611357

http://www.vitalaffirmations.com/health/healingaffirmations.htm#.UwpZCDd6yrA

http://www.compassionatedragon.com/metaphysics2.html

http://www.ecoutetoncorps.com/en/online-resources/metaphysical-definitions-20-illnessesdiseasesdisorders/

http://keeperofbalance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/louise-hay-list-of-common-illnesses-and.html

http://www.vitalaffirmations.com/health/backupper.htm#.UwpZEzd6yrA

Eagle Pose - Garudasana benefits

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 13:49:00 GMT

"Garuda means eagle. it is also the name of the king of the birds. Garuda is represented as the vehicle of visnu and as having a white face, an acquiline beak, red wings and a golden body." Light on Yoga - B.K.S. Iyengar

I have attached a link below if you wish to read more about the Hindu and Buddhist mythology behind this amazing powerful bird.

http://jayarama.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/garuda1/

The pose itself has many wonderful benefits including

Strengthens the feet, ankles and calf's
Stretches feet, legs, thighs, hips and lower back.
It helps to remove stiffness from the shoulders.
It's also advised for removing cramp in the calf muscles.
helps to improve concentration
helps to improve balance

The king of the birds transported Lord Vishnu through the celestial realms...eager to help humanity in its fight against demons. We all have a powerful eagle within us that wants to soar high....find yours!

Tutorial video for you here :-) Get your yoga on....

Vasisthasana - Side Plank Pose week

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Mon, 3 Feb 2014 07:45:00 GMT

Vasisthasana - Side Plank Pose week

This weeks pose is the wonderful side plank. So you might be thinking ohhhhh god nooo, i really dislike this pose or may be your thinking yes!!! I really want to work my core. Either way i want to say that when we don't like a pose and don't want to do it we more than likely really do need to do it. May be you struggle with this because your core is very weak and more often than not we like to shy away from things that are a struggle. Hey we all do it, even me :-) But remember it doesn't have to be unpleasant that's why i give modifications so you can choose one that suits you and your body right now. Forget the person next to you! They don't walk out with your body after practise, you do! And if you do what the person next to you does and they do the full pose arms wrapped around there legs than you will feel the consequences not them the next day.

So why is it important to work into side plank? Well many reasons but the most obvious to begin with are it strengths and stretches the wrists, legs, arms and belly. It helps with sense of balance and requires concentration so helps us to focus. This pose is one of the best poses for working the entire core and is known to target the weak muscles called the quadratus lumborum as seen below.

http://www.yoganatomy.com/2013/12/quadratus-lumborum-yoga-anatomy/

Evidence has been proven that weak core is more likely to lead to lower back problems so lets get side planking!!! :-)

http://www.serctherapy.com/low_back_pain_article

Detailed tutorial video coming soon on different modifications and alignment.

YOGA FOR PREGNANCY

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 18:56:00 GMT

YOGA FOR PREGNANCY

During pregnancy we can feel alienated from fitness and its particularly hard for those who have always been physically fit to then stop exercising, and why should you! I advise you don't!!!!

Its not a disease its a gift!

So here i am introducing you to a new resource that i will be providing for pregnancy.

I have attached my first YOGA FOR PREGNANCY video for those who wish to still open up their bodies and feel a deeper connection to their growing baby. Please do not do my videos until you are 15+ weeks unless my video states it is for the first trimester.

Here is a beautiful quote from the book that my teacher of Pregnancy Yoga wrote.

"By practising yoga, an expectant mother invites harmony into her body. Since the baby within is not only dependent on you physically but also sensitive to your mental and emotional states, equilibrium can only enhance the mother-baby bond. The baby feels more secure and your confidence in your innate capabilities increases." Yoga for pregnancy ~ Wendy Teasdill

Hope you enjoy :-)

YOGA FOR SLEEP, INSOMNIA AND RELAXATION

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 17:44:00 GMT

Yoga for sleep, insomnia and relaxation

So in today's world sleep can be something that we become deprived of very easily. We have a million things to do and if we stop to sleep we won't get them done. On the contrary our life can become so stressful that we just can't get to sleep even when we try. Sleep can become a problem for us in many ways, stress and worry can stop us from sleeping, getting to bed at different times every night can have an effect and not to mention travelling and sleeping in different places if you work away from home. To contend with this when we do finally get to sleep we wake up to feel worse or even more exhausted.

So how can you help yourself to sleep better or deeper at least when you do manage to lay your beautiful head on the pillow to recharge your batteries. Well i have done a little tip list to help you. So even if you can implement one of these things in your life it will hopefully help your body during resting times.

So first of all why do we need to sleep?

"When we sleep, our brain takes that time to clean out the build-up of brain junk we accumulate during our waking hours. Sleep is pretty much necessary for our body’s mental street-cleaners to come out and do their work." ~ http://www.geekosystem.com/understanding-sleep/

"We have to sleep because it is essential to maintaining normal levels of cognitive skills such as speech, memory, innovative and flexible thinking. In other words, sleep plays a significant role in brain development." ~ http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/articles/whatissleep.shtml

Sleep problems can happen due to stress levels being high and this is due to the Vata Dosha in the body rising. Not sleeping properly or at all can then become a factor that causes other problems within the body such as constipation or depression and much more.

So we know it is extremely important to sleep so here are a few tips to hopefully help.

Avoid drinks with caffeine in them, especially after 5pm
Eat healthy, fresh fruit and veg
Drink water
Try to cut out or down refined sugary foods, cakes, sweets and drinks.
Stop yourself from watching violent programs and this includes limiting the NEWS
Try to limit heavy food intake after 6pm
Do a yoga practise when ever you this WILL REDUCE stress levels
Meditation before you go to sleep
Have a warm bath
Massage oils onto your body (slightly warm sesame oil, brahmi oil, jatamamsi oil)
Use an eye mask especially if you are travelling if light can disturb you.
Use ear plugs if travelling
Drink warm milk add a pinch of Nutmeg or Cardamon to it - YUM
Eat Cherries they are good for stress and mental fatigue
Drink Chamomile Tea

FOR YOU: Here is a Free Yoga Video with a asana sequence and pranayama practice that you can also try to help with any sleeping problems that you may have.

PS: Happy Boxing Day

HOW TO OVERCOME PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PAIN

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:54:00 GMT

So last night i decided to incorporate the theme of pain into yoga class. Yes that was their reaction also, PAIN???? But let me explain.

My opening quotes was

So a few of my beautiful yoga students have certain ailments, injuries and "suffer" with pain. But my theme was to get them to melt and surrender and except the pain. We so often have pain in our lower back, shoulders, knees and not only on a physical sense but also an emotional level such as sadness, depression, anger, irritation and much more.

My theme was based on the Buddhist teachings.

Visualise this....

Being shot by an arrow and this shot causes us pain either physically or emotionally.

We then allow ourselves to be shot by another arrow (the second arrow). Which ultimately causes us even more pain because we allow the mind to cause us more suffering by being cross with ourselves, blaming or letting ourselves dwell and think about what has been, what we want back, what was which then may spiral into depression, anger, blame and much more.

So to avoid more suffering the wise man will only allow himself to be shot by the first arrow.

So how do we stop ourselves getting shot by that second arrow?

Well during class i approached this by allowing students to explored there own pain from the first arrow, locating any given area that they experience pain in, this could be physical or also emotional. I gave them time to locate and feel the sensations and what was actually happening in their body rather than what the mental thought process was creating. Rather than avoiding or pushing it away i encouraged them to feel the sensations let the feelings rise and fall, experience them, learn from it instead and become unattached.

I asked them to breath the breath into the area, saying "hello" yes i know you are their pain! Riding the waves. Nothing is ever still, the body will continue to change just like all things around us will. Embrace the experience now and take the journey and allow yourself to melt into it and accept it rather than fight it causing yourself more suffering.

So instead of fighting with the sensations allow yourself to have Patience, acceptance and be non-reactive towards it allowing yourself to be unattached and live a much more free and peaceful life.

When touched with a feeling of pain,
the ordinary uninstructed person
sorrows, grieves,
and laments, beats his breast,
becomes distraught.
So he feels two pains,
physical and mental.

Just as if they were to shoot a man with an arrow and,
right afterward,
were to shoot him with another one,
so that he would feel
the pains of two arrows.

–The Buddha

I hope this can help even just a little if you are suffering with anything at the moment.

Namaste beautiful friend :-)

HEALING THE HEART CHAKRA

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 13:29:00 +0100

This week has been an interesting week as we have worked on the heart chakra.

During my own time working on this chakra i have had some moments of tears, the physical sensations have been something that i can only describe as a heavy feeling in my chest centre.

I find this chakra as well as some of the others to be quiet amazing. I guess being aware of my own body, energies and its balances and in balances i have certain chakras that i personally work on alone more than others.

The colour that respresents this beautiful heart chakra is green. It is also known as the Anahata Chakra and it is the 4th chakra, located in the centre of our chest (between the breasts), to be even more precises it is bewteen the 4th and 5th thoracic vertebrae. This chakra is the ruler of the heart, upper back, breasts, lungs, blood and circulation, skin, immune system, arms and hands.

At this chakra a transition takes place from the lower three chakras which are much more personal (our foundations) to a more interpersonal place. This chakra really allows us to take ourself away from the ego and move into a place of unconditional and divine love.

The diagram below shows the symbolic image of Anahata Chakra. The black point at the top of the triangle represents the energy moving up through the heart chakra into the next three chakras of a more evolved, transpersonal consciousness, if the energy rises we can feel devotion, pure , divine and love. The lower black point on the bottom traiangle represents the energy moving down, being unable to move through the heart chakra, if this accures we feel desire, jealousy, sadness and despire.

All of the petals running around the image show all the amazing qualities of Anahata Chakra :-)

When the chakra is balanced we feel:

Compassionate
Truthful
Sensitive
Receptive
Unconditional Love
Generous
Radiating Warmth

When unbalanced in this chakra we feel:

Needy
Jealous
Confused
Abuse of love
Abuse of drugs/alcohol
Angry
Hateful
Uncaring
Unfeeling
Unforgiving

If this chakra is unbalanced physical problems can accumulate in the areas that the heart chakra is connected to; such as heart problems, circulation problems, lung issues and asthma and other breathing issues.

So hopefully you now have a good idea if you are more balanced or unbalanced, but what causes us to be unbalanced and what do you do to balance?

Many things can causes this chakra to become blocked and we are all different, events that have happened to you that caused sadness, somebody hurting you badly, a broken heart, your trust being destructed. This chakra registers the quality of love in our life and if our unconditional love is tampered with or taken for granted this can effect us deep inside this chakra. As we grow up we are small, Innocent, naive and it can be damaged during this time also, as all we thrive off is unconditional love, protection and to be free when being young. The heart centre holds deep emotions and the body tries its best to protect us how ever it sees fit and this can result in the heart chakra being unbalanced. It can also happen at any time during our life and it can also be seated in the heart centre for many years before we even register a problem here due to us not being in touch with our self and body.

How to start balancing Anahata chakra, well without a dought taking your yoga class is definitely advised. If you do your own home practice work with back bends to open the heart, back bending can feel overwhelming for those who are holding pain in this area from past events, be gentle with yourself and give your body time to open. Meditation on the heart chakra is also a very nurturing way to allow relief in this area, you may have build up contractions within this space from past memories and events and breathing into the heart can help enormously, i do suggest doing this with a teacher for guidance to begin with (i shall do a meditation for this to guide you through a meditation practice on the heart).

Gem stones can be used (keeping them close to you) The gem stones for this chakra are Rose quarts, emerald and jade among others may be used under your own intuition.

Foods that can compliments Anahata are sattvic foods that will calm and support the energy such as nuts, seeds, fruits and yogurt.

Also giving unconditionally, helping and doing selfless service. As Krishna says to Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita "Arjuna must act selflessly, out of a sence of duty. He must work not for his own sake, but for the welfare of all" p71, Chapter three, selfless service, The Bhagavad Gita, Eknath Easwaran.

So i hope this post sheds some more light on The Heart Chakra we have been working on this week.

Reference: http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/898?page=5
http://www.yogaindailylife.org/esystem/yoga/en/180400/chakras/anahata-chakra/
The Bhagavad Gita, Eknath Easwaran, Nilgiri Press
Chakra Work, Mary Horsley, Octopus Publishing,

WHAT IS YOGA?

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 18:17:00 +0100

I did a video on what is Yoga....

Hope you enjoy :-)

Please subscribe for more video and yoga tips, practices and more...

THE IMPORTANCE OF SHAVASANA

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 16:10:00 +0100

Shavasana plays a very important part of our yoga practice and i have to say i try to emphasis this in my classes.

This part of the yoga practice can be the most difficult to master, due to us lying and trying to quieten everything especially the wandering mind. Most people struggle to begin with when attempting relaxation (so your not alone if this is you), this is quiet normal due to the stresses we are surrounded with in day to day life. Our mind is being pulled all over the place with different challenges, tasks and demands from moment to moment outside of yoga class and to train the mind to be still is a task in itself to begin with.

So how do we begin to master this section of the practice? The first thing is we don't beat our self up when our mind wanders, our regular yoga practce in itself with make it easier and easier as our mind becomes more still. Our yoga practice starts the one pointed concentration due to our postures and the following of the breath during asana work, so when we come to rest over time the mind with naturally begin to quieten, but you will have odd days where it wont.

When you first begin and you struggle with lots of thoughts in Shavasana if the teacher isn't guiding you through a relaxation or visualisation then bring your awareness to your breath, watch it, do not change it just watch, and if your mind drifts bring your awareness back to your breath again gently. Remember there is no right and wrong and don't judge yourself or be disapointed if the mind wanders, you should praise yourself for just being at class in the first place!

Shavasana = Sava = dead; also know as corpse pose requires you to lie on your back, legs a comfortable distance apart with the feet falling to the corners of your mat. Your arms a nice distance away from your body. I encourage palms to face up towards the sky (in order to receive/being open). If you feel vulnerable then placing palms down or moving onto your side is always an option to make you feel safer. The shoulders should move away from the ears to create space in the neck, and the neck should be long and chin to chest but not scrunched up to chest....nice and long. If pregnant then this position is not recommended but instead take it onto your side. Glasses are advised to be removed so they don't press on nerve endings and cause discomfort.

So we now know how lie in shavasana and if the mind wanders how to try and guide it gently to the breath, but why is it so important to do this pose when we have so much to get done at home!

Well i believe that out of all the poses this pose is the most important pose and its so important to do this at the end of class even if it is just for 3 minutes.

Why? Because after your yoga postures this asana allows the body to reset, rest and recoup. We never get time to rest in this way and here we can do it, we must learn to take advantage of it.

"The stress of modern civilisation are a strain on the nerves for which Savasana is the best antidote" Light on Yoga (iyengar)

It helps to lift fatigue from the body and tiredness after the asanas. Another amazing benefit is that it allows the whole psychophysiological system to relax.

So what better way to end your yoga session than with relaxation in savasana, so next time you want to rush off and cant stop thinking about the jobs you have to do when you leave think to yourself WAIT THIS NEXT FEW MOMENTS WILL BENEFIT ME LONG TERM PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY, AND HELP ME BE MORE PRODUCTIVE WHEN I LEAVE CLASS. SO LET GO, RELAX AND ENJOY!

YOGA, MULA BANDHA or ROOT LOCK

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 21:32:00 +0100

Mula Bandha is something that we have been practicing in class this week.

Here i go into more details and share a video with you so you can practice in your own home.

The Sanskrit word bandha simply means to 'hold', 'tighten' or 'lock'. These word describe the action extremely well as this is exactly what we do when practicing with a bandha to effect the pranic energy within the body.

"The word bandha means "to bind or tie together, to close." In the way it is used in yoga, bandha also means "to lock." When we execute a bandha we lock certain areas of the torso in a particular way." The Heart Of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar, p71

The bandha's play an important role in the cleansing process, helping to reduce waste matter by directing the agni - yes there are more than one bandha we have jaladhara, moola, uddiyana and maha, but this post will just focus on Mula Bandha. This perticular bandha takes place in the perunium area and when we apply the lock it aims to lock the prana and redirect it into sushumna nadi in order for spiritual awakening.

So now we know a little about Mula Bandha the next step is locating it. Some of the best ways to draw attention into this area is by coughing. But it can also be tuned into by doing the action you would use when stopping yourself from going for a wee. I have attached a picture for those of us that are more visual (me being one of them).

So as you can see from the images where the Bandha is located so when do we apply it. Well you can begin apply this lock in simple asanas to begin with. Lying on your back and applying Mula Bandha is probably one of the easiest ways when you first start out. When you feel comfortable and feel you have mastered it on your back you can move to a seated position.

Here is a little video for those who wish to work on MULA BANDHA....:-) I hope you enjoy xxxxxx

YOGA AND MULADHARA CHAKRA

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 13:47:00 +0100

Every day i become more and more amazed with the human body and what it is capable of.

Over the past few weeks i have been doing Chakra's in class and the first one we looked at was the base chakra. This is a very interesting chakra as are all of them. They are all associated with different parts of the body and the Root Chakra/Muladhara is connected to the spine, legs, feet, large intestine, bones, teeth, anus, rectum, blood and building cells. It is associated with EARTH, physical and emotional grounding.

When you are unbalanced in this chakra you may feel:

Insecure
Fearful
Distrusting
Unconnected to nature
Rigid
Possessive

And many other symptoms can become apparent. On a more physical level you may experience problems linked to any of the parts the root chakra is connected to, things such as brittle nails, hip, leg and bone issues in general. You may also experience constipation, piles, prostate cancer, circulation problems, obesity and a lack of vitality along with many other concerns.

My own personal experience of this chakra and being unbalanced resulting in my back tooth falling apart, but when it came to be removed it really did not want to move. My body was giving me signals in many ways, circulation and iron deficiency problems also became an issue. As a result of all my symptoms i listened to my body and began to explore a much more centred yoga practice - cutting back on the vinyasa flow for a while - and taking movements slow and grounding. I changed my food and walked in nature much more with the puppy this all helped me back to balance.

So what does it feel like to be balanced in this Chakra, well you should feel

Secure
Earthy
in touch with nature
Generous
Trusting
Vital
Purposeful
Active
Sensual

Many things can be the cause of feel ungrounded and the Muladhara chakra unbalanced. Moving home, relocation, travelling, and large changes in the body, finances and family break downs can also be causes along with many other things.

When you feel ungrounded there are many things you can do which will enable you to balance the root chakra, as stated above being in nature could be your first step (being close to nature, the earth. Planting seeds and flowers). Do yoga that will bring awareness to your feet and legs, allow your movements to be slow, find the breath (pranayama), slow the breath down, do repetitions in postures with the breath.

Gemstones

You may wish to carry gemstones to help balance Muladhara chakra

Tiger-eye
Smoky quartz
Ruby
Red coral
Garnet
Bloodstone

Foods

There are many foods you could consider to help ground you such as Root Vegetables. Root Veg are known to slow you down, so just keeping an eye on the quantity as you may begin to feel tired if you over do it. Liquorice is also a food that will help, this needs to have a dept of 6ft to be able to grow (grounded deep down into the ground).

Take your time, embrace every moment you have because once that moment and the next have gone you can never get them back again!!!! The present is what matters!

SARASWATI LOTUS YOGA CHANNEL

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 22:57:00 +0100

FULL MOON YOGA PRACTICE

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 19:37:00 +0100

Well i thought it would be nice to share this with all those who wish to find a full moon practise....

The video below is a full moon practise i have switched the sides around....do start with the opposite side if you intend to practise.

Lots of yoga love

If you wish to have more information on a full moon you can always go to my other blog post on the link below.....

http://saraswatilotusyoga.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-effects-of-lunar-cycle-on-human.html

YOGA AND THE CHAKRAS

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 19:12:00 +0100

Bonjour to all my fellow yogi's

I hope this post finds you well.

My blog has been somewhat slow lately i feel. I must apologise for this. Lately i have had a trillion and one things going on, but that should not be an excuse....so no i will not use it....It has been my discipline that has waned, and does from time to time.

Lately i have been reflecting on my blog (the last day or so) and i wish to bring something a little more personal to it than just facts, so from here on in i intend to reflect on my own yoga and my experiences with you through this wonderful world known as the big wide web.

This week i brought in a new theme to my classes, the chakras. Why do i use themes? I get fully inspired and excited when i can share themes, ways to help us live with more contentment, sharing knowledge that i myself can refresh up on. After doing nearly 4 years of training sometimes those facts, ideas, books and the knowledge can gets sometimes stored in a memory file in your brain and forgotten about. I love themes because they allow me to search back to the hidden knowledge and encourage me to search and study for more knowledge.

Over the next few months, yes months (its a huge topic), we will be exploring the chakras, the beautiful energy wheels within our body that receive energy and share energy.

This weeks class has been exploring the location of the 7 Chakras and their names, as well as going through postures that balance and waken them up. In my own practise when exploring this i have noticed a profound stillness when coming to work on my Third eye, Brow Chakra Ajna.

So what postures have we been doing in order to do an all over chakra workout?

Muladhara

Starting with grounding postures:

Tadasana. Closing our eyes and finding the four corners of our feet.

Forward Fold: Uttanasana, again finding our feet and our breath.

Virabhadrasana II

Svadisthana Chakra

Moving on to the second chakra we began to focus on postures that will work into the hips in order for us to bring awareness to Svadisthana Chakra.

Baddha Konasana, pigeon pose (modified or pigeon prep)

Manipura

The third chakra located in the Solar Plexus area began with us coming onto our sit bones and working into poses such as boat and twists.

Anahata Chakra

With Anahata Chakra we worked into heart opening poses.

Beginning with baby/modified cobra and taking it into a deeper cobra or seal. The breath being of key importance in order to expand our heart open. Many other poses could be done for this but for my lesson these poses served us well.

Vishudda Chakra

Vishudda Chakra is located in the throat and the postures that we focused on here were Setu Bandha Sarvangasana and Salamba Sarvangasana.

Ajna Chakra & Sahasrara

Moving onto our brow chakra & final chakra was very interesting and allowed me to explore meditation in order to create some imagination with yogis. In one of the meditations the students where given a flower and i guided them into a still, beautiful, calming meditation. This was followed by a relaxation.

My aim with my classes were ultimately to give everyone a really good idea of the locations of the chakras and to see if they could make a connection through any energies. So in the following weeks i will be exploring each chakra and hopefully giving my student the guidance to go deeper within themselves. By doing this i am hoping that they can become more aware and in touch with themselves and what is happening within their bodies, as well as learning new and interesting things along the way. :-)

For more detail (blog and videos) on individual Chakras over the next few months along with postures you can try at home please pop back soon or subscribe.

YOGA AND SCIATICA

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 16:44:00 +0100

As promised a more detailed post on Sciatica and how yoga can help it.

What is Sciatica and do you have it or not?

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, running from the back of the pelvic, through the buttocks, down the leg all the way to the foot. When this nerve is irritated pain can radiate from the lower back and down through the leg to calf, it may be felt in the hip or outer leg also.

Causes of Sciatica

It is caused by compression of the spinal nerve root in the lower back L4-S1 which can come from a slipped (herniated) disc, which may not be recognised or obvious. Other causes of Sciatica are spinal Sternosis (narrowing of the nerve passage in the spine), injury, infection or a growth in the spine.

You may already be aware of one of the above causes, you may not. May be a trip to the doctor will help you to pin point the cause.

Yogis with tight hips, weak or lower back tightness may aggravate or create sciatica in straight legged yoga postures. Why? When the pelvis can not rotate forwards C (please see picture below) by the psoas, iliacus muscles, rectus muscles and quadratus lumborum then it will result in the rotation of the pelvic forward being limited and the rotation will go backwards (FIGURE B) instead (FIGURE C).

(Picture: www.efield.com)

When moving forward in yoga postures if the above is happening the movement will not come from the hips but instead the lower spine rounds and bends forward while the pelvic is tugging back. This is why you will very often hear your yoga instructor saying 'come from the hips not the back'.

When doing yoga with Sciatica it is important that we strengthen the muscles around the sciatic nerve and bring circulation to the area. Forward folds may be done but make sure you place a bend in your knees to reinforce the tilt in the pelvic.

Postures that are good when trying to relieve sciatica are Salabhasana (strengthening lower back and circulation) as well as Trikonasana, Garudasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Parsvakonasana and Ardha Chandrasana.

So fellow yogis when in your yoga class reflect on the images above and allow yourself to take safe procedures in postures, learn and know your body. Bend those knees! Don't push your body when its giving you signals and making you aware of a weakness, listen, heal, take time and strengthen your body, THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL NEVER STRAIGHT YOUR LEGS AGAIN!!!! Its just means for now your body needs something else. Find loving comfort and satisfaction with bend knees and notice the different areas you can feel and bathe in contentment.

(picture: www.happiness-one-quotes-time.blogspot.com)

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SCIATICA AND YOGA

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 22:51:00 +0100

At some point in our life we may become troubled with Sciatica. During our yoga practice we can avoid irritating it more by bending our knees in postures such as forward folds. I have included a yoga video below for those who wish to relieve mild to server sciatic. Be mindful that these postures are not easy postures, so take your time, be gentle with yourself in them and use your breath to guide you gently and slowly through out the practice.

With the first posture especially Bound Angle - do not bend forward if you are finding a lot of discomfort at the moment with your sciatic nerve. If you wish to move forward make sure you keep length in your spine from the base up to the crown of your head!

I hope the video helps and another one will follow with more detailed information on the sciatic nerve itself!

AWARENESS OF YOUR BODY IN CLASS

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:29:00 +0100

So your in your yoga class and the teacher gives you a posture that you find a challenge even in the modified variation, BUT everyone around you goes past the modified version and goes straight through to the advanced asana. What do you do, stay with your good alignment and strength, deepen into the posture your in or sod your alignment and jump straight into the deep end?

I see this happen so many times. Students struggle with the modifies or first stage as i like to call it and go straight through to the deep end when they are struggling with the basics of the posture.

Why do we do this? why do we push our selves out of our limits to a dangerous place? ego, pressure on ourselves, worried about what the others around think, see? just being unaware of our own body-not listening deep within? I guess all the things listed are reasons to why we jump straight into a posture that we may not feel sure of doing in the first place.

So how do we help ourselves to listen more deeper? Well i guess the first steps that you can take is to be fully aware of your body and breath in postures, what is it doing? how is the breath? is the breath struggling? Do you feel that you are doing a huge amount in the first stage? If so why go further? just embrace the sensations the feelings and breath deep. We are so quick to rush into postures to achieve perfection when there really is no such thing. If everyone could reach the final stage and do it with correct alignment what would we have to work towards? And what a boring place the world would be.

Embrace each stage of a posture, focus more on correct alignment than flinging yourself into a posture that may just be weakening other areas because alignment starts to flake.

As i say safety and alignment is much more important that getting into a deeper posture which may hindering your body and cause problems.

Embrace yourself as an individual, love your body for what it can not do as well as what it can do, take a deep breath and be grateful.

YOGA FOR THOSE PROBLEM HIPS

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:17:00 +0100

Are you have problems in your hips? Is it a physical problem for instance something that accrued through an injury OR is it an emotional problem? Did your hip issue gradually become more and more of a problem and you are just unsure where it has come from?

The body is a manifestation of our emotions and if we don't clear out the old rubbish it can build up into areas of the body causing us problems. These problems can manifest anywhere in the body depending on the emotional struggle you may be dealing with. The problem may be something that stems back from years and years ago or it could be something relatively new. The body is always giving us feedback, signals and if we can learn to listen to these signals we can go much deeper inside ourselves to find out what we need to do or change in order to make ourselves better and start shifting the rubbish.

Lets take a little look deeper into what the hips represent and how we can start to shift and clear out the rubbish as i like to call it :-)

"The more you connect to the power within you, the more you can be free in all areas of your life." The Power is within YOU, Louise Hay, p3

The hips represent decisions in our life, especially the decisions we have to make about moving forward.

When we feel pain in the hips it is a sign that we are 'stuck' in some way. If you are unable to make a decision or you can't seem to be able to see clearly with where or what you are to do next this can then manifests into the hips.

So if you are aware of the pain in the hips instead of dismissing the pain or shielding it with a whole load of medication (I do not in any way advise you to stop any medication you are taking!) try to get to the root of the problem that has formed in this area. We must deal with things on a deeper level, medication is a wonderful thing but it shields us from the problem and disguise it.

So how do we begin to make action's and change what is going on in the hips or the body and heal?

The body is forever changing and so are we, emotions can be shifted you can change your thought pattern. What you feel, the sensations within your hips right now is the body giving you a signal, it is not the end product of the body. You now have to allow and trust yourself to move through the sensations you are feeling and trust yourself that this has happened to move you through this moment with awareness. You can either move through it with a positive outlook or you can move through it with a negative outlook, the negative outlook with not serve or get you anywhere. Where as the positive will allow you to examine, understand and take notes on what it happening and what the body is trying to tell you.

The affirmation that you should repeat, you should put on a post-it note and read and repeat, repeat, repeat until your mind is conditioned with this positive thought flow and it is ingrained in your new way of thinking.

"I am in perfect health. I move forward in life with ease and with joy at every age".

Even if your body is not in perfect health allow yourself to manifest perfect health!

I have linked a hip yoga practice to allow you to get deeper into the hips, to open up this area, to allow the rubbish to start shifting. Drink water and cleanse cleanse cleanse!

STOP, SLOW DOWN, LOOK AROUND, AS SOMEONE FOR GUIDANCE,

LISTEN TO YOUR INNER WISDOM.

SHOULDER PROBLEMS

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Thu, 30 May 2013 19:31:00 +0100

We have all heard the saying 'Carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders', well this saying was not created for nothing. The shoulders are a very common place where we feel pain, tension and even more serious injuries within the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Through our day to day life we take on so many challenges that can vary for all of us as individuals. As a broad example it could be a bereavement, moving home/loosing a home, family or friendship commitments, work commitments or breakdowns all the way through to strenuous work that required a lot of repetitions work in shoulders, lifting, manual work and also working at a desk. Taking all this into account your emotional energy from all the things you are dealing with can manifest into the physical body and this can create illness, pain, disease and other such things in the body. The body has in some way built up this emotional energy within the body, causing blockages within the body so energy can not move freely and these problems are created. On a more manual working approach the joints, muscles, ligaments may have been work down so they are weaker, more tender and less mobile.

So i wanted to create a video for you all that will allow you to release any tension, stress and pain that may be gathering around the neck and shoulders. Releasing the tension and releasing where your tension in your body is, is one of the first steps to healing those areas that are creating problems.

YOGA VS PILATES

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:50:00 +0100

I was very early this morning before i taught my class so i sat down to have a drink and to do some yoga lesson plans in my sketch book. The strangest conversation was taking place that i couldn't help over hearing. I do not ear wig, but i could hear them because i was the only one close by why it was happening.

A member of the gym was talking to the manager about classes and the manager said we have yoga and Pilate's on. The lady said "Well i have done yoga and it is the same as Pilate's". Well as you can imagine i wanted to go over and explain the difference, this lady has never attending my class and i was fascinated to know what kind of yoga class she went to and what Pilate's class she has attended.

This really got me thinking, do people really believe they are the same? Is that why people won't attend a yoga class because they believe it is so much like Pilate's. The difference is so different that they do not compare in my eyes. For one reason among many reasons yoga came from centuries and centuries ago, not only can it be spiritual which Pilate's is not, but it is also a science that has been create to establish balance in body, mind and spirit. It cleanses, heals and helps with natural weight loss. It makes the body strong, toned and the mind clear.

After the conversation and she left i spoke to the manager and showed my concern. I asked if it would be ok for me to do a booklet and hand not only to students in class but also to members that have got the wrong idea about yoga all together. Those who have not even tried yoga yet and those who do not understand yoga. I feel so many people do not understand yoga.

Yoga also does not have to be religious by any means, you can to yoga from many angles, physical, spiritual, breath awareness, meditation and much more...... but i believe it has so much more going for it than i believe Pilate's does? Am i wrong to believe this as i am a yoga lover?

Yoga works the core just like Pilate's does, it works balance, strength both mentally and physically. Yoga can be a spiritual practice as well. It is very likely the more you practise the more the scriptures will make sense if you study them or read.

I am not saying that Pilate's is not a good rounded practice, i just believe that yoga allows much more scope and offers many many more options and ways to enter into the practice. I also think that Pilate's can be..... "I SAY CAN BE" dangerous as the work you do requires a lot of strength to begin with. And i do believe if you go into the wrong yoga class when starting this could be the same!

I would love your thoughts on yoga and Pilate's and differences, strengths and much more.....

My booklets are in process if you wish to have one please let me know!

Namaste Yogis xxx

FREE - TEN MINUTE GUIDED MEDITATION

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:26:00 +0100

Well what a busy week it has been teaching.

I wanted to share a guided meditation that i have done in a few of my classes this week.

I wanted to offer it to those who do wish to practice meditation but like to be guided.

Its simple and easy and 10Min long.

WHAT BETTER WAY TO SPEND YOUR NEXT TEN MINUTES!!!!

I do hope you find it useful and calming.

YUM YUM - BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE HERE WE COME

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Thu, 9 May 2013 10:58:00 +0100

Give this one ago...all ingredients below and a video to help you make it if you want to make it together!

What are these funny things i hear you say? Well these are a wonderful superfood!
Here is a quote to explain to you simply....

"Cacao bean is the dried and fully fermented fatty bean of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted. They are the basis of chocolate, as well as many Mesoamerican foods such as mole sauce and tejate." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacao_nibs

Benefits are said to be many:

They are said to contain the highest Anti-oxidants level than any other food. This alone makes it great for healing the skin.

High Magnesium content

High Level of Vitamin C

Ok so these are just a few of the benefits, but be mindful not to overload (I learned the hard way,,,,way to much made me feel funny in a good way).

Homemade Almond Milk

Pure Organic Honey

Organically Grown Strawberries

Thank you for reading my blog and watching my videos and don't forget to subscribe,

Namaste

YOGA FOR THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Thu, 2 May 2013 22:52:00 +0100

Yoga for the digestive system- releasing energy blocks

This video (above-video library or regular progamme) has been created for those who are experiencing problems with in the abdominal/digestion region. These problems can be due to stress, emotions, suppression and many other things.

The body tries to find away to get rid of the mental stress/emotional stress and also physical problems in many ways. If you are experiencing abdominal discomfort, distress, IBS or any other issues this video will allow the healing and releasing process to being.

This is the first of three videos for this area

so please subscribe to keep up to date with my videos.

Also, more information on my videos and more can be found on my Facebook page and my YouTube page.

Sharing yoga to help, heal and give to all of those who are willing to share the yoga journey with me x

WHAT IS YOGA?

saraswatilotusyga@gmail.com (Katya Greer George Leon) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:24:00 +0100

So a lot of new people in yoga class lately and its really hard to define yoga and explain when only having a short time with you..... so i wanted to do a blog to cover it a little bit deeper than a short statement or theme through my classes. So here goes....x

Yoga can be approached in many different ways for many different reasons. You may find yourself that you have taken on yoga for a certain reason may be it is the physical rewards of the bodies shape, ailments that you may have, breathing, a spiritual reason, relaxation or may be you are doing yoga out of pure enjoyment. There are many more reasons that we come to yoga these are just a small few to mention. But regardless of all these reasons there is still a real meaning that lies behind yoga and what it does and if we are going to practice such an ancient practice the least we can do is learn the real meaning and aim of yoga.

Let me explain more about what is yoga....And let me be clear it can be explained in many ways as stated in The Heart Of Yoga "Many different interpretations of the word yoga have been handed down over the centuries. {....}....There are many ways of practicing yoga, and gradually the interest in one path will lead to another." p6 The Heart of Yoga

In Hatha Yoga, Yoga starts with the physical body.
In 'The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali' Patanjali says "If you can control the rising of the mind into ripples, you will experience Yoga". P4 Meaning if you can control the mind then nothing within the world can bind you. Yoga beings with the Yamas in Patanjali's yoga sutras.

No matter where you start you are aiming for the same outcome with yoga, and this is Samadhi. Let me use a wonderful quote to explain what this Sanskrit word means "Once we give everything to God/ ....{Humanity}...we are renunciates; we have nothing to possess. And when we have nothing to possess, we have nothing to worry about. All worry is due to attachments and clinging to possessions. The attachment I mean is a mental attachment. What we want is a mental, rather than a physical, detachment. We can even possess things physically if we are mentally detached. This is continuous samadhi." Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, P150

The teachings of Hatha Yoga allow you to start this journey towards union of the mind, body and spirit by beginning with the body. We begin with the body so we can cleanse and purify it so that we can create a pure mind.

Shatkarma (six yoga cleansing practices of the body) is the first step, followed with Asana practice then Pranayama. These stages of yoga require self discipline and it allows us to create discipline without trying to fight with the mind that is constantly trying to fight with itself and split into two.

Many yoga masters studying the mind could see that when we try to control the mind the part that doesn't want to be disciplined and the part that does want to be can split so far apart that mental illness is created.

"You have no power to wrestle with the mind, yet you wrestle with it, thereby creating a pattern of animosity towards yourself" p6 HYP. This is why Hatha Yoga starts with the body rather than the mind.

Ok so summing up the above What is Yoga? It is a system that allows us to create absolute balance of the physical body, mind and energy. We do this by clearing all the impurities, "the entire nervous system and the various secretions in the body should be properly maintained and harmonized" p6 HYP. In order for the energy to move like "waves frequencies throughout the channels within the physical structure, moving up to the brain" P6 HYP.

"Yoga is evenness of mind": detachment from the duality of pain and pleasure, success and failure, and so on. Therefore "Yoga is skill in action," because this kind of detachment is required if one is to act in freedom, rather than merely react to events according to his conditioning." P 58, The Bhagavad Gita, Eknath Easwaran

I hope this helps to understand more about yoga my lovely people....

:-)
This is a huge topic and will do a part 2.

Any questions please leave a comment below or email me....always happy to hear from you!!!

Namaste