Meditation

A few days I go I completed my first 30 minute meditation. I have never done this before, and as quite an active person I was apprehensive whether i'd be able to do it or not. I particularly chose meditation because I wanted to still my mind of all the recent thoughts and anxieties I've been facing as a student.
I was able to reach a point of relaxation, on and off with occasional thoughts popping in to my head. I actively had to detach myself from these thoughts in order to reach a state of peace and clarity. I also noticed a heightened awareness to outside sounds, so recommend if you intend to do this, to choose a quite time of the day.

Bolster Pillow

In yesterday's yoga session we used a bolster pillow, in a floor position, to stretch out the back and open the throat centre (Visuddha chakra). This really helped my breathing as the jaw is softened, the head is relaxed on the floor and the rib cage is lifted. The bottom of your legs and feet are bent under your thighs so you can hold your feet with your hands. I found it better to use two mats as the floor can be quite harsh on the front of the feet. According to the yoga philosophy the 'Throat centre' relates to communication, self-expression, and truth.    

Head Stand

After a day on your feet, it's time for some yoga. Today, I focused on a Head Stand and felt the pressure from around my feet and ankles, mainly down to standing a lot in my job, drift away. Head Stand allows the upper body to do most of the work relieving your poor feet of anymore stress. Stabilised with a block supporting the top of my back and hands clasped against the back of my head, I felt I could hold this position comfortably for a few minutes. What a great feeling.

New yoga posts coming soon !

Watch this space.

Apres yoga

I have recently discovered how amazing it is to relax in a sauna straight from a yoga session. If like me you are not a member of a bikram yoga studio, the best substitute is to jump into the sauna at your gym straight after a yoga class. The benefits of yoga are to get your internal organs working really hard, and this directly warms the entire body. Once you've got to this point, even a 10 minute relaxation in a sauna can send your body into complete relaxation state.  

Fish and Crane pose

Today I completed fish pose and felt my complete chest opening up and my shoulders drawing back toward my spine. This is an excellent stretch and the deeper you go the more you can feel the benefits.  Moving on to balances, after a concentrated yoga session, I could hold crane pose for around 20 seconds. This is my personal best. 

Cut the caffeine by breathing

Cut the caffeine with simple breathing techniques. This will make you feel more awake in an instant. Take your thumb and forefinger, and start by blocking your right nostril whilst breathing through your left for 6 seconds. Hold the breath for 6 seconds and then swap nostrils and breath out for a further 6 seconds. Do this for a few minutes per day and as your lungs gets stronger and more open you'll be able to hold the breath for longer.