Yogi said........ what?

Ok let’s admit it, because most of us have been there. What did that yoga teacher just say? Or was that a sneeze?

Here is my list of some of the things that yogis say or talk about that you may have heard and may or may not have questioned.

Namaste: This is an ancient Sanskrit greeting but translates close to: The light or spirit in me bows to (or salutes) the light or spirit in you. Or I bow to the God in you. We are all one.   

Anjali Mudra: Mudra means seal or sign in Sanskrit. While some mudras may use the entire body most are with the hands and fingers and by placing in a certain form will make an energetic seal. Anjali Mudra is with hands at the heart, palms together, thumbs into sternum.  This represents a returning to ones own heart, a connection of left and right hemispheres, and with the divine. Namaste is most often said while using this mudra and they go beautifully together.

Kombucha: This effervescent drink is made from fermented tea by using a colony of yeast and bacteria called a SCOBY. It is sold in most grocery stores and comes in lots of flavours.

Asana: This is the Sanskrit word for posture. It is used when the body is positioned in a posture to improve flexibility and strength to prepare for meditation and remain seated for long periods of time.

Vinyasa: My favourite definition of Vinyasa is linking the movement of the physical body with breath. If you take a Vinyasa in class it often refers to a series of postures that are linked through a flow of movement and guided by breath.

Savasana: More than a nap, savasana is translated into corpse pose and is the final relaxation posture or asana in a lot of yoga practices. You can take this important posture by laying on your back with arms at your sides and closing your eyes.

If you are new to yoga and looking to start conversation..... try the topics kale salad or green smoothie. I promise you will have friends in class before you even start the asana.

Namaste,

CJ

Just Breath!

I'm reverent about breathing. Particularly in a hatha yoga practice. Mainly because deep breathing has been a game changer for me. Deep conscious breathing has helped me manage my anxiety and battles with depression. It's helped me find depth in yoga asana (postures) and it's helped me when the natural contracts or struggles of life occur. The breath in my opinion is our number 1 resource. This is one of the reasons I was motivated to put this short video together explaining one of my favourite and simplest breathing techniques, called 3 part breath. So take a quick 3 min break to watch and practice along with this video. It's on the Yogo.tv Youtube Channel (along with other great videos) so come back to it whenever you need or send it along to someone you know could benefit from this. It's free! Breathing is always FREE!!!

If you're having trouble watching this video, click here!

With you on this path,
Lauren

P.S. Don't judge my wild hair. LOL!

In Between

Last weekend at my daughter's dance competition one of the judges got up on stage before the awards and offered some advice to the many dancers. She told them to become very aware of all the little steps that they take to get in and out of the big grand postures or moves. And to give as much life and dance into these transition moves as they do the big moves.

I really love this. This applies when we are both on and off our yoga mats. On our mats we can get caught up in the big postures maybe even holding our breath until we arrive. We may forget to let our breath guide our body through the ins and outs that lead us to these bigger postures or forget to be aware of how our body feels and reacts as we move from one pose to the next. Sometimes the in-betweens may even become routine.

This also may happen in our day to day, as we rush around from one event to another and we miss the moments in between. These are missed opportunities to connect with breath and notice how we feel or just pause and enjoy the life going on around us as we move through to the next big event or thing on our to do list.

There is as much joy and inspiration in these in-between moments as there is in the grand move or event or posture, in fact there may be much more if we start to treat these moments that take us in and out with the same amount of awareness and consideration that we give the others.

With Gratitude,

CJ

Let's go upside down

Explore your world from upside down. Promise it will change your point of view and exhilarate you. We know it can be scary, so here's a great Yogo.tv YouTube Video from Chantal O'Sullivan of Shanti Yoga in Tsawwassen, BC. to get you going. Now go remove a painting from a wall in your house (or office) and TRY!!!!

With Love from the,
The Inversion junkies at Yogo.tv

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May you all have a lovely long weekend.

Namaste, CJ