Monday 27th December is the only day I am not running classes over the holidays

Don’t get too caught up in the busyness of Christmas and make time for yoga...make time for yourself.

Let's keep practicing and be healthy in body, mind & spirit

- The teaching of the Mantra Bhakti Heenam.

Yoga & Meditation this month

You don’t have to sit cross legged to meditate. When you practice the asana, eventually you learn to meditate in each posture. The whole class becomes a meditation

“Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable mind.”

Wikipedia

 Mantra = Mind training

This month we will be learning more about a powerful and ancient form of meditation known as Mantra. Mantra Is a Sanskrit word and translated it means mind teaching or training. Training the mind to focus on a group of words or sounds such as Om, helps us to let go of all our negative thoughts, worries and emotions and feel emotionally balanced and often full of love for ourselves, life and the world. We have been listening to Mantra meditations since classes began. The beautiful music and sounds as we come into class and settle are Yoga Mantras.

Listening to mantra without understanding the words, still touches your heart and changes how you feel. But understanding what each means and joining in singing or chanting silently or out loud makes them a very powerful practice.

A short verse is repeated or sometimes just one word such as Om usually in Sanskrit but sometimes in English.

Practicing yoga asana and meditation whilst listening to mantra’s makes your practice feel even lovlier especially when they are sung with beautiful harmonies. We are practicing to Sacred Earths album - Bhakti. Add beautiful music and it can lead you into a deeper experience of yoga.

Knowing the meaning of the words and the meaning of the hand gestures or Mudra adds another depth to your practice.

We will learn one routine a week. Each is 5 to 10 minutes long and then put them all together to create a beautiful flow class that I have created called Buddha’s Blessings

The first Mantra is Gayatri Mantra said to be 3000 years old! It is a thank you to the sun and a wish for the sun to help illuminate our life purpose. I have created a sitting yoga sequence, with Mudras that strengthen your upper body “solar” plexus and heart.

The second is Bhakti Heenam. This Mantra reminds us we have to do the work, practice daily meditation, mantra and yoga to receive the rewards of a strong body and calm mind. This is sequenced to a cobra flow routine so you can feel yourself working...The Hatha Classes only will practice this. I will adapt it for the Gentle Class.

My personal favourite is Buddha’s blessings. Sit cross legged or in eagle posture

Om Mani Padme Um…..I’ll teach you more in class

Put Your Feet Up this Christmas

Traditionally Christmas is a winter celebration helping people get through the dark, cold time of year with the shortest days and the least light. The shortest day of the year has been and gone and it’s time to celebrate with lights, entertainment...food.

In Australia it’s the lightest time of year, the weather is getting hot...usually! And it’s noisy with the call of cicada’s, crickets and frogs. It should be a time to slow down, bring in the siesta that other hot countries practice in the heat of day. Christmas can feel very tiring and draining if you continue to ignore what nature and the seasons are guiding you to do.

So we’ll put our feet up...we have been practicing some lovely postures using the wall, to help restore, cool and calm you. Ten minutes will make a huge difference to your energy levels. An hour and you’ll feel full of vitality again. Practice at home and you’ll quickly start to become, stronger, flexible, calmer and cooler.

Then go out again and enjoy the sunshine.

Due to the cool snap we have been practicing gentle sun salutations, rather than feet up restorative cooling postures. We’ll see what happens over December.

**I keep forgetting to mention you can now pay for some passes via PayPal on my website.

 I hope we get to see students that chose not to be vaccinated before Christmas.

I hope we get our freedom back.

But whatever happens, go with the flow and enjoy your life

Namaste Julie