Vinyasa

VINYASA 

Nyasa= ‘to place’ 

Vi= ‘in a special way’

To place your awareness in a special way

Vinyasa yoga is a flowing style of yoga where the breath and movements are linked together. The movements are initiated and inspired by the breath. In a yoga sequence expansive, opening and rising movements are initiated by an inhalation. Contractive, closing and grounding movements are initiated by an exhalation.

Vinyasa yoga teaches us to cultivate an awareness around and within our transitions both in our practice and life. It’s a practice of being present in the space between poses, actions or places. It’s in the transitions, the flow in between, where the beauty and magic lies. The flow is a catalyst for shift and transformation. 

Our breath is our best guide in our practice and life. When I teach a yoga class I always remind my clients that the most important thing is their breathing. We want our breathing to lengthen and deepen and we want our movements to mirror that. The movements and the breathing become one. 

The movements tell us a lot about our breathing and state of mind. Our breathing tells us a lot about our state of mind. I believe just as our breathing can effect our movements, our movements can effect our breathing. The entire flow is to create harmony in body, mind, heart and soul.

It’s easy to put the main focus on the poses themselves, to rush through a transition just to get to the pose. The vinyasa flow gives us a beautiful reminder that everything is a process.

Namaste, Helén

Savoring Simple Pleasures

“To affect the quality of the day,

this is the highest art.” -Henry David Thoreau

This month I’m focusing on savoring simple pleasures... I give attention to the small things, I pause, I practice being in the moment, I take note of what brings me pleasure and elevates my spirit. 

Simple pleasures have the potential to change the way we feel and the way we experience our moment-to-moment life. By savoring simple pleasures we have an opportunity to elevate ourselves, become present, slow down and cultivate a feeling of contentment.

I love to begin my day with a moment of stillness and silence, watching my breath and get grounded.

I enjoy drinking my morning coffee while reading a book or gazing out through the window.

I put lavender oil on my hands before I make the bed and the bedroom fills with a lavender smell.

On my daily walks I always make sure to stop and smell the roses, literally.

Afternoon coffee or tea = cup of quiet reflection

I always keep a book with me. When I have a moment I read a passage for joy and inspiration.

Music elevates my spirit and brings me inspiration to the mundane. I listen to music everyday to connect to my heart and inner muse.

I love an evening practice. To release what happened during the day and just step into the moment. My favorite is VinYin; flow into ease and stillness. I make sure to light a candle and have a bottle of essential oil close by.

What simple pleasures can you begin to savor in your everyday life? What elevates your spirit? What inspires your inner muse?

“It is the sweet simple things of life 

which are the real ones after all.”

-Laura Ingalls Wilder

Peace & Light, Helén

Reflection

What practice is going to serve you best today or at this time in your life?

Movement and flow, deep breathing, stillness, mudra, dancing, 

nature walk, a moment of yin yoga or a creative mix…?

Breathing

“In the end, it all comes down to the art of breathing.” -Martha Graham

When I teach a yoga class I always remind my clients that the most important thing is their breathing.

The quality of our breathing has a direct impact on our body, mind and emotional health and wellbeing. Breathing relaxes and revitalizes our body. It also quiets the mind and calms our emotions. 

The fourth limb of yoga is mindful breathing: pranayama. Pranayama is a sanskrit word meaning: prana = lifeforce yama = to extend

Through mindful breathing we can regulate the flow of prana within our body which effects the mind and body. When we deepen our breathing the body receives more oxygen and we release pent-up emotions. The breath also help release serotonin in the brain which is a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of happiness and joy.

I want to share a breathing exercise with you that I love to practice. It’s called Nadi Shodhana - Alternate Nostril Breathing. It has a very calming and harmonious effect on the body and mind. 

Take a comfortable seat. Sit for a moment and connect to the natural rhythm of your breathing. 

Bend the right index and middle finger into your palm and place your right hand in front of your nose. 

Close your right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through your left nostril.

Close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale out of the right nostril.

Inhale through your right nostril, close the right nostril, exhale through your left nostril. Repeat, alternating nostrils.

Practice this for 3-5 minutes 

Enjoy!

Namaste, Helén

Contemplation

“By nature Mercury and mind are unsteady: there is nothing in the world which cannot be accomplished when these are made steady.” - Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Words of Wisdom

"Silence and stillness are nourishment for your mind and spirit, and reflection is a time for you to tap into your true beauty so that you can shine internally and externally." ~Sierra Bender, Goddess to the Core

3 Simple Tools to begin a Meditation Practice

Today I want to share 3 simple tools that’s been really helpful in my meditation practice.

Get Comfortable
The most important part of your meditation practice is making sure you are comfortable in your body. You want to sit onto a firm pillow or a blanket so your hips can be higher than your knees. If cross-legged position isn’t comfortable sit on a chair. You want the spine to be straight and chest open, that way the breath can move into your heart and lungs. 

Same Time Same Space
I have found that if I stick to a certain time and space I am more likely to stick to my meditation practice. After a while it becomes a routine that triggers my mind. I prefer to meditate in the morning. It’s so easy to let it slip away if I wait...

Start Small
Begin with 5 minutes. You can practice 5 minutes of meditation for a week and then you add 1 more minute everyday until 11 minutes. Stay with 11 minutes for a while, get comfortable. I started with 5 minutes and I thought it was torture to sit still and trying not to think... You see when I started meditating I thought that I needed to completely blank my mind and not think. Well... Accept your thoughts, they will be there. It’s how you engage with them. Don’t let your thoughts take over, instead be in charge over them. As soon as you begin to drift you gently bring yourself back to your breath and body.

I like to think of my mind as a blue sky and my thoughts as clouds. Let your thoughts come and go like the clouds in the sky.

Meditation Blessings, Helén