During this uncertain time, more than ever, our yoga practice has a LOT to offer us. The challenges we’re facing are various and different people will, of course, be suffering in different ways and to different degrees.
But if you practice yoga, or are interested in it, now is a really good time to find new ways of taking your yoga off the mat and integrating it into your way of life. Really, that’s what yoga is — it’s never just postures on a mat. Sometimes, we need the motivation of new challenges to make us see that.
Sunday, April 7th, is World Health Day. The goal of this annual global campaign is to promote access to good health and healthcare for all people, all over the world.
Part of the campaign is focused on helping individuals and health care providers understand more about protective factors for good health, including nutrition, exercise, lifestyle and stress reduction.
Mooladhara, the Root Chakra, is a powerful source of strength and steadiness. It is associated with security, money, possessions and reproduction.
Although Mooladhara is the first chakra, it’s important to note that if you're just starting to incorporate chakra work into your practice, you should begin with Ajna — the sixth chakra.
This will allow you to develop your ability to witness, observe and process any intense emotions that might arise before you start creating profound shifts through intensive work with the other chakras.
Ready? Read on to demystify the qualities of the root chakra!
Ayurveda is a close sister of yoga. It’s an ancient and holistic system of medicine, developed in India thousands of years ago. It’s grounded in the simple principle of balance — because with balance comes good health.
An extensive study by two health scientists in 2016 highlighted the potential of ayurvedic knowledge to influence contemporary healthcare. They defined health from an ayurvedic viewpoint as:
“a state of equilibrium with one’s self (svasthya) but which is inextricably linked to the environment.”
Balance means adapting to changes in your environment that affect your physical and emotional wellbeing. What works for you in the heat of summer will be different from what makes you feel healthy and nourished during the winter.
Full yogic breathing is a deep breathing pranayama practice with a number of profound benefits.
These include:
In order to practise full yogic breath correctly and effectively, a number of
