Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015 | Yin Yoga

Cam Yoga presents Yin Yoga 

with Rosalind Southward

           

Rosalind Southward tuning in to teach Yin Yoga @ Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015

Rosalind is a graceful teacher, gentle and very human in approach. Her calming manner and carefully chosen dialect leads each yogi through the practice of Yin Yoga. She encourages you to focus on your bodies needs, step back from the edge of discomfort and hold each pose for 3 minutes. Whilst holding the pose she explains the importance of ‘noticing’ what is happening rather than ‘reacting’, be it an itchy foot, an uncomfortable emotion or the desire to come out of a pose (unless of course you are actually experiencing pain). Holding with awareness encourages acceptance of yourself and your bodies needs.

Yin Yoga could be mistakenly seen as a gentler form of Yoga, yet it is tougher in many ways as it guides you to pause, turn inward and acknowledge yourself, to notice your thoughts and emotions as you work deeper into the fascia of that wonderful 3d network of tissue holding us together. Yin works on releasing blockages within you improving your energy flow (chi) calming the central nervous system and grounding you in the present moment.

www.anjalienergy.com
www.camyoga.co.uk
www.yinyoga.com

www.twitter.com/anjalienergy

www.twitter.com/camyogastudio

Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015 | Acro Yoga

Acro Yoga 

with Eugene Butcher & Pip Elysium

 

Acro Yoga Demo @ Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015

Eugene Butcher & Pip Elysium @ Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015

You will find acrobatics, Yoga and Thai massage all combined into this elegant art form where two people work in harmony to create a spirited almost playful yet fluid range of poses as one person forms the base and the other becomes the flyer.

Incredible trust and coordination is required to gain fluidity between poses, empowerment of achievement is the reward to those who have the courage to try…

www.eugeneacroyoga.com
www.elysiumdance.co.uk 
www.acroyoga.org  

www.twitter.com/eugenebutcher
www.twitter.com/balletworkouts 

           

Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015 | KYAT Kundalini Yoga

KYAT Kundalini Yoga to Open Your Heart

Kundalini Yogi welcoming participants to the heart opening session @ Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015

Kundalini is all about energy flow; this session focuses on the energy of the heart chakra, (Anahata) which can be known as the pivot between the 3 lower and 3 higher chakras. The heart chakra is represented by a green 12 petal lotus with the balance of male and female energy at its centre; Shiva the male and Shakti the female.

Beginning with the mantra “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” said 3 times in succession, (this mantra translates to mean “I bow to the subtle divine wisdom, I bow to the divine teacher within”), followed by a range of seated and standing Kriyas specifically for opening the heart. “Sat Nam” is another mantra used in this session it translates to “truth is my name”. Sat Nam is said to recognise yourself as truthful to see your connection to the divine, to see truth in your heart and to be truthful to it, to listen to it. This uplifting session closes with meditation accompanied by the subtle sounds of a Harmonian (an instrument similar to an accordion).

Further information on Kundalini Yoga can be found via this website…

www.kundaliniyoga.org.uk

Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015 | Yogi Ashokananda

Uplift the Body & Prana 

with Yogi Ashokananda 

 

Jumping Warriors working up a sweat with Yogi Ashokananda @ Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015

Entering this workshop you would not expect the larger than life personality that springs out of this gentle and petite individual who incidentally turns out to be a surprisingly powerful teacher. His unexpected yet delightful humour lifts each yogi as the poses build and each are put through their paces, his encouragement creates the confidence in participants to try more advanced poses and to see just how far they can really go beyond their fears or disbelief.

The journey starts with breathing and yogis are encouraged to engage the root lock at the perineum (Mula Bandha) as they inhale, effectively sealing in the prana from each new breath and releasing the lock on exhalation. Yogis are also instructed to curl the tip of their tongue up to touch the roof of their mouths; this encourages ujjayi breathing, activates the diaphragm and regulates the appetite it also prevents jaw tension building up during practise.

Yogis are encouraged to not let their muscles be lazy and poses are demonstrated with accuracy throughout the workshop, there are cleansing Kriyas and a series of asana that twist the body into new realms releasing both physical and emotional toxins held within. The Yogis work up a sweat as the class progresses and the energy in the room rises as they jump through a series of warriors alternating their leading and back leg with arms constantly raised.

The workshop ends without a svasana as Yogi Ashokananda expresses with a light hearted voice, “I don’t teach svasana because we all sleep at night anyway”… The Yogis are gifted with bursts of laughter though heightened by the comments of Ashokananda as he encourages everyone to really let themselves go, his laughing becomes hysterical in itself which makes everyone laugh even more. He stresses how important it is to laugh daily explaining how you don’t even have to find something funny to laugh at as your brain doesn’t actually know the difference it just knows you are laughing and produces the happy chemicals anyway, so treat yourself and make sure you laugh every day!

 "May your feet have the courage to walk where your heart beats" Yogi Ashokonanda

www.yogiashokananda.com

www.twitter.com/yogiashokananda

Example of Ashokananda practicing Kriya

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRraq64ssJg

 

Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015 | Chau Gong Meditation

Chau Gong Meditation
with Annette Ainsworth

 

Annette Ainsworth demonstrating the Chau Gong for meditation @ Om Yoga Show 2015

Attempting to experience this calming healing sound meditation with the vibrations of this impressive Chinese gong in an open plan space should have been seriously hampered by the obvious lack of doors, walls and lets not forget silence. However as everyone settled in to their Svasana or Lotus pose, bizarrely the open plan noise polluted situation added to the experience as all the background noises rippled through the space, lying there was like being in a live rendition of the Brian Eno Airports CD, meaning that the ambience was actually enhanced, sadly the gong was somewhat overshadowed but the overall effect was still surprisingly soothing.

 

www.starsandstillness.com 

www.meditationcentre.co.uk 

There’s an example of a Chau Gong here;

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRSSkIWgJWA

Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015 | Release Your Feet & Lower Back

Release Your Feet & Free Your Lower Back with Claire Murphy

Props used in the open session @ Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015

 

In this workshop Claire Murphy of Santosha Studio talks participants through a range of movements working with a small spiky inflatable ball which is a specific prop that really does get into awkward areas encouraging your body to let go of tensions that have built up within it.

This session was spent working with the feet moving on to the gluteal muscles with focus on releasing the tensions upwards along the hamstrings and into the lower back. Alternating working with the ball and moving in and out of poses such as forward bends (Uttanasana) invited self-discovery, assessment and re-assessment of how the range of movement changes.

www.santoshastudio.co.uk

www.twitter.com/santoshastudio

Example of prop       

www.physique.co.uk/Massage-Oils-Couches/Massage-Tools/Spiky-Balls?gclid=CKPR9a2408UCFfQatAodN14ANg

Om Yoga Show Manchester 2015 | Shamanic Yoga

Shamanic Yoga with Leah Bracknell

Leah Bracknell, Shamanic Yoga @ Om Yoga Show 2015
image courtesy of http://www.omyogashow.com/shamanic-yoga-with-leah-bracknell/

It is hard to find a way of describing this incredible experience; I believe it needs to be felt. Upon entering the workshop Jez Hughes founder of ‘Second Sight Healing’ with his calm welcoming nature approaches everyone individually asking them to take a small amount of tobacco to give as an offering later in the workshop, intrigued everyone took some as they selected their spot and settled into a circular formation of mats. Leah gently approached the center of the circle welcoming everyone. She shared the journey that led her to this point and spoke of how fear often prevents progression. She described the elements of the medicine wheel located at the center of the circle making note of its likeness to the Chakras and emphasised its connection to healing.

Leah has a luminous personality and a beautiful voice with which she captivates and guides participants gracefully through a range of poses whilst inviting self-reflection and soothing. She guides everyone safely through a journey acknowledging all four directions of the compass welcoming their elemental qualities. Ripples of music are sprinkled through the practice; a Shamanic drum brings rhythm to promote healing along with Native American rattles symbolic of independence. All participants are encouraged to greet each breath as a welcome guest and reminded how it is said that each life is given a finite number of breaths, every single one should be treasured.

Towards the end of this emotional enlightening journey Leah encourages participants to join her in song and gratitude for mother earth, the volume rises then softens as everyone spirals together coiling into the center of the room. I very much doubt anyone left this room feeling the same as when they had entered, I strongly suspect they left feeling lighter yet grounded, benefiting from the skilled guidance of Leah. Prayers made along with the offerings were left in very safe hands to be released ceremonially later that day.

Shamanic Yoga guides you to where you need healing, where you feel broken, it helps to free those who have become stuck, to reignite the fire within bringing empowerment and guidance towards a truer self. There really could not be a better way to start your day or indeed the next part of your journey than with this incredible workshop.

Leah Bracknell
www.leahbracknellyoga.com

www.arbourhealing.co.uk

www.twitter.com/leahbracknell

Jez Hughes                     
www.secondsighthealing.co.uk