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Tips for your Home-Yoga Practice
I hear a lot of people saying that they would love to practice more Yoga at home but…
They don’t have enough space in their apartment/ room
They don’t have the right equipment
They don’t know what to practice and if they are doing it correctly
They have not enough time
So I thought I will give you some really useful tips for your home practice!
1. The space problem
You don’t have enough room in your apartment/ room and every time you want to practice Yoga you need to move the furniture around? Try to find a space in your apartment that isn’t used much and rearrange it so you have room for your practice anytime. If that isn’t possible, try to find a spot that has only a side-table or a small box on it that can be moved easily and use it as your Yoga space. If you know you only have to move a small piece of furniture it makes it a lot easier :) An alternative could be to find a friend who has a bigger apartment and also wants to practice Yoga. You can have a Yoga session at his/her house every week and that way it is even easier to stay motivated.
2. Not the right equipment
Honestly, you don’t need anything special for a Yoga practice. If you don’t have a mat, use a thin blanket or buy a mat online (they really aren’t expensive). If you don’t have blocks, you can use a thick book and instead of a Yoga belt use a scarf. That’s it:)
3. Don’t know what to practice
I always advise everybody to sign up for a Yoga class and attend it at least once a week to learn the basics in a safe environment and with an experienced instructor. The teacher can correct your poses and explain what you need to look out for in the poses. If you want to practice at home in addition, try to repeat the postures you learned in the class. It is not advisable to try advanced asanas at home for the first time!!But if you lack inspiration or forgot what you have done in the class, just look up a video on youtube. There are countless Yoga videos that teach a whole class online. My favourite is Ekhart Yoga, she is really good and the poses are explained very well.
4. Not enough time
First of all, there is always some spare time :) Try to do Yoga once or twice a week at home at a time when you normally don’t do anything else. This could be in the morning instead of sitting in front of the computer, in the evening instead of watching TV, on the weekend instead of laying on the sofa or during the day when you have time spare. Set that time and try to keep it up for one month, then see if you feel better. I bet you will and that way you might actually keep it up :) You don’t need to over-practice. No need to do Yoga every day for an hour, it is better to do it twice a week for 30 min and therefore keep it up for a long time.
I hope that helps you getting started :)
You can also use my Youtube video “Sun Salutation” for warming up!
HOW TO.....
U P S I D E D O W N ...
VIPARITA KARANI - LEGS UP THE WALL POSE
An amazing pose that has so many benefits, can be done almost anybody and is really simple!!
Benefits
Legs up the Wall Pose is a restorative, relaxing and gentle inversion that has manybenefits:
Eases anxiety and stress
Therapeutic for arthritis, headaches, high blood pressure, low blood pressure and insomnia
Eases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps and menopause
Relieves tired or cramped feet and legs
Gently stretches the hamstrings, legs and lower back
Relieves lower back pain
Calms the mind
Steps
Viparita Karani (vip-par-ee-tah car-AHN-ee) Viparita: reversed/ inverted Karani: doing/action
1. Find an open wall space, put one or two blankets (or a pillow) beside the wall. Start seated on the blankets, beside the wall, with your feet on the floor in front of you and your left side body in contact with the wall. On an exhale, gently lie down on your back and pivot yourself so that the backs of your legs are pressing against the wall and the bottoms of your feet are facing up. You may need to wiggle around to find your way into this position.
2. Your sitting bones should now be pressed up against the wall, or slightly away from the wall, and your back and head rested on the floor.
4. Let the back of your head be heavy and your neck be in a neutral position. Soften your face and your throat. Let your hands rest either on your belly or down by your sides, palms facing upwards. Close your eyes and breath deeply through your nose.
5. Stay here for anywhere from 5-15 minutes. To come out of the position, push the bottoms of your feet into the wall and lift your hips slightly. Gently roll to one side.
Cautions
Although this is a mild and restorative posture, it is still considered an inversion. You should check with a doctor if you have any of the following conditions:
Menstruation
Pregnancy
High blood pressure
LET'S TWIST
Yogis twist while sitting, standing, and standing on our heads. There are physiological benefits to the circulatory system and internal organs, structural benefits to the musculoskeletal system, and focusing benefits to your consciousness.B.K.S. Iyengar describes twists as a "squeeze-and-soak" action: The organs are compressed during a twist, pushing out blood filled with metabolic by-products and toxins. When we release the twist, fresh blood flows in, carrying oxygen and the building blocks for tissue healing. So from the physiological standpoint, twists stimulate circulation and have a cleansing and refreshing effect on the torso organs and associated glands.Twists have also benefits to muscles and joints.
Yoga twists involve the spine, as well as several major joints, including the hips and shoulders. If you don't lengthen the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia (connective tissues) to their full length at least a few times a week, they will gradually shorten and limit the nearby joint's mobility. In the case of twisting, the limitation is usually in soft tissues around the spine, abdomen, rib cage, and hips.
If you regularly practice yoga twists, there are some clear benefits to these same joints and soft tissues. Not only do you maintain the normal length and resilience of the soft tissues, but you also help to maintain the health of the discs and facet joints (the small pair of joints on the back of the spine where each two vertebrae overlap).
A Twist a Day
To maintain or restore the normal spinal rotation, I recommend that you practice a simple spinal twist once or twice a day. A variation of the twist Bharadvajasana done sitting on a chair is an excellent option because it is so easy to integrate into everyday life.
Even in such a basic twist, however, there are a few anatomical points to keep in mind. Most important is to elongate the spine.
So sit on the front of a chair and push your chest out a little bit and relax your shoulders. Remember that the tailbone is pulling down into the chair and the top your head is pulling upwards, to make the spine really long. The second important point to remember is that each section of the spine has a different rotational mobility. The cervical (neck) vertebrae, for example, are the most mobile in twisting. Because the 12 thoracic (midback) vertebrae have ribs attached, they can't twist as freely as the neck vertebrae. And because of the orientation of the lumbar (lower spine) facet joints, the rotation of these five vertebrae is the most limited. So to ensure that you don't overtwist in the more mobile parts of your spine, begin your seated twist by bringing your awareness into your lower back and beginning the twist from there. Let the twist gradually unfold up your spine, as though you were walking up a spiral staircase, so that each vertebra participates in the twist.You can use your hands on the corners of the chairback or on your knee to deepen the twist in your spine and rib cage. Continue to sit tall and as the twist unfolds all the way up into your neck, your head will turn, but be sure to keep your eyes and gaze soft. Hold the twist on each side for a minute or so, and use your breathing to help deepen the twist: On one exhalation, draw yourself taller; on the next exhalation, twist a bit more. With regular practice of this and other simple twists, your spine will regain its full potential for twisting.
AND remember - ONE twist a DAY :)
part of the content from: http://www.yogajournal.com
KITCHEN OF LOVE
Last week I received this book as a present and I was so impressed that I wanted to share this amazing cook book with you!
This book is a collection of divinely inspired vegetarian and vegan recipes drawn from cuisines all over the world. The colourful pages also explain the meaning and value of vegetarianism and contain quotes and stories around the Bhakti-Yoga.
It is a pleasure to read and it is fun to try the recipes and learn more about the importance of the preparation of a meal.
KITCHEN of LOVE is truly worth to be the OJAS TIP of the week!!
If you want to know more about the book or order it for yourself, write me an email: yogaojas@live.com
1 Euro of the book price (5 Euro) goes to a school project in India http://goldenavatartrust.com/
AND if you want to know more about the KITCHEN of LOVE Project, find more recipes or even want to share your own vegetarian recipe - visit their webite: www.kitchenoflove.com
START YOUR SPRING YOGA PRACTICE
We all know that the warm time of the year is coming and we want to get our body and soul fit for the sun.
One great and really easy way to start your SPRING fit and with a lot of energy is the SUN SALUTATION.
Practice this short Yoga Flow once a day (3 rounds) and feel the difference within a week. You will become more flexible, you boost immune system, you shape your body and speed up your metabolism.
The best way to integrate the SUN SALUTATION into your daily routine is to practice it in the morning before breakfast or in the evening before bed time.
Here is a video that you can easily follow and learn the SUN SALUTATION flow:
DEODORANT HOMEMADE
For years, deodorant was something I applied every day without question because that’s what society has told us to do since our underarms started perspiring and giving off odor. Then one day a few years ago I did indeed stop to think about what was in my deodorant, and I freaked out!
I saw something that looked like this:·
Active Ingredient:
Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex 15.4%·
Inactive Ingredients:
Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Kernel Oil; Stearyl Alcohol; Cyclomethicone; C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate; PPG-14 Butyl Ether; Hydrogenated Castor Oil; Hydrogenated Soybean Oil; PEG-8 Distearate; Fragrance; Hydrolyzed Corn Starch; Behenyl Alcohol
After several years of trying to find a good all-natural deodorant that didn’t make me stink or break out in a rash, I finally decided to make my own. It turned out to be one of the easiest and most beneficial recipes that I’ve ever created. These days, I only wear my homemade deodorant.
All-Natural Coconut Deodorant
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cool Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients·
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted ·
1/4 cup baking soda·
1/8 cup cornstarch ·
1/8 cup arrowroot powder ·
Essential oils of choice (optional)
Directions
Combine coconut oil, baking soda, cornstarch, and arrowroot in a mixing bowl. When well combined, add in a drop or two of your favorite essential oil. Lastly, pour into an empty deodorant container, or simply pour into a small Mason jar and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and use as needed. If using a Mason jar you'll have to chip out little pieces and rub them onto your armpit. The deodorant will melt and apply smoothly upon contact with skin. I've found that one batch of deodorant lasts me several months. Also, no need to store in the refrigerator unless your home is at a temperature at which coconut oil is liquid at room temperature.
ENJOY :)