Autumn blues ? Happiness is found in Trikonasana - Triangle pose

Let your Yoga practice cheer you up and bring happiness to your heart with Trikonasana.

As winter looms and daylight reduces Autumn is a good time to revive your Yoga practice. Try including Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) in your daily routine.

This pose provides a deep stretch to your whole body. Stretching dynamically brings awareness to your whole body and mind. You can practice against a wall to fine tune your alignment or use a chair to rest your hand on to help you balance. 

Alignment is key in this amazing posture. It opens wide your heart center allowing happiness to enter. It reduces your tension levels and cleanses your system by improving blood circulation.

 

Benefits
Strengthens; Legs, Knees, Ankles, Buttocks, Stamina. 
Stretches; Hips, Groin, Thoracic Spine, Waist, Chest, Lungs, Shoulders. 
Stimulates; Abdominal muscles. 

Preparatory Pose
Standing Side Bend (strengthens your oblique muscles at the sides of your waist/torso)

Pregnancy Modification
Shorter stance, Revolved Angle Pose

Props
Blocks, Chair, Wall

Contraindications
High or Low Blood Pressure, Arthritic Hip, Pregnancy, Over Extended Knees, Neck & Shoulder issues

If you need instruction for this pose please email; peaceyoga@btinternet.com

Yoga and Transport in the Press

Excerpt from article published in
BWY Spectrum 

British Wheel of Yoga Autumn Issue 2013

 

Next time you are off to your Yoga session;

Think seriously...should you...

Walk, cycle, use public transport, or travel by car? 

" Hatha yoga pradipika 59-61 says the yogi “avoids long trips”.  They’re tiring and use resources. Plus, like me, millions are hurt travelling.  Road danger is a major public health issue – the new open sewers or smoking epidemic.  With a 1 in 200 chance of road death and 80 classrooms of children per year killed or seriously injured on UK roads, road crashes are the top preventable cause of child death.  1,754 fatalities, 23,039 seriously injured and 195,723 injured were recorded in the UK (2012).  Police STATS19 understate injury severity. At an emergency, police lack the medical training to differentiate slight versus serious blows.  Slight injuries often go unreported. The Department for Transport put the true road toll for all casualties at 3.5 times recorded incidents – approx 700,000 road injured p.a. from comparing police and hospital data with the National Travel Survey’s collision question.  Plus an extra 4-5 million non-injury crashes p.a.

How many sufferers of road injury do you know?  Many of my students have whiplash for instance from shunting crashes or suffer back pain related to excessive car use or crashes.  Plus those that are very seriously injured or literally run over like yoga teacher S-C Peace – see her harrowing film http://www.roadjustice.org.uk/Sarah-Charlotte  and blog at http://peacecycling.blogspot.co.uk/  She campaigns for road justice and 20mph limits for Oswestry, Prior to suffering serious physical and psychological injuries she taught Yoga locally, actively encouraging students to cycle, walk or car share to classes when possible. S-C would also ask students to bring their own Yoga mats to each session and store class equipment at the venues to avoid having to drive to transport equipment.

Road danger is linked to obesity, heart disease and joint stiffness from not moving enough due to car commuting or where people are afraid to travel by foot or cycle. Excessive sitting is a major disease factor a host of other ailments too including  poor mental health. The New Scientist reports that exercise improves vagal tone (vagus nerve health) which is linked to quicker recovery from stress and feeling more socially connected.

Road danger’s costs are staggering – £570+ per capita p.a. in the UK comprising £10bn in injury crashes, £10bn in non injury crashes and £16bn in suppressed exercise. Even before disability or widow/widower benefits or obesity effects. "

Link to full article coming soon... 

Peace Yoga is also supporting #getbritaincycling you can help too; http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/campaigning/article/cam20130718-Get-your-MP-to-debate-cycling-0 
 

Join the The Peace Yoga Facebook group for more Yoga tips; https://www.facebook.com/groups/143380475725440/ 

Yoga & The Great Outdoors

Did you know Yoga is best practiced outdoors?

Here are some reasons why...

• Ambiance
  Unlike the atmosphere we strive to create inside with special lighting and soothing music to mimic the outdoors actually being in nature itself is more calming and offers it's own ambiance without effort invigorating your practice
• Unity
  Yoga outdoors brings emphasis to the very roots of Yoga and it's true meaning of union, nurturing your sense of belonging in the universe
• Awareness
  Practising outdoors raises awareness, encourages fuller breathing and offers a deeper sense of stillness. If you are lucky enough to have the sun shining too this can bring greater flexibility to your muscles as it aids your body and mind to let go
• Music
  The sounds of nature or the background buzz of a city becomes your soundtrack and you can use these natural sounds to take your focus deeper within
• Oneness
  Many yoga poses are derived from nature and animals therefore practising these poses outdoors helps to increases your sense of oneness. Practising a Tree pose can help you connect with the trees around you for example
• Breathing
  When we practice yoga breathing outdoors new senses are inspired as you take in your surroundings with each breath and each breath can be deepened and freshened with a passing breeze
• Challenge
  Whether its the weather you are braving or the surface you are working on each element challenges your practice and brings with it it's own reward of achievement. You could be balancing against the wind or engaging the deeper muscles in the feet as you practice on the beach. Whatever your challenge using Yoga outdoors will bring a new dimension to your practice

So what are you waiting for? Why not take your practice outside today, remember to keep warm and enjoy ...

Om Namaste

Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga

Have you heard of muscle memory? 

Well trauma retained in the body goes deeper than that.

Image Copywrite S-C Peace - S-C Peace - Miyajima Island Japan

Studies have shown that Yoga can help trauma survivors to reconnect with there body and release the trauma memory held within.

In the aim of healing the recent trauma my body has suffered and after researching Yoga as Trauma therapy - I've just written a 21 pose Yoga for Trauma session plan - here goes! Time to roll out the mat...

If any Yogi's reading this have suffered trauma perhaps you would be interested in trying this session out? Inbox me for more details. If you are local even better!

For further information try reading this insightful book;
"Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga" Authors; David Emerson & Elizabeth Hopper

The Gift of Sleep

image courtesy of http://www.ehow.com

Wishing all Yogi's out there a wonderful Christmas

Enjoy this time for relaxation and rejuvenation & take this perfect opportunity to deeply relax in between all those yuletide commitments by making sure you get a fuel filled sleep. Follow this link;

 http://www.facebook.com/groups/143380475725440/

This link takes you to my Facebook Peace Yoga Group where you can download a totally free sleep enhancing PDF booklet containing easy to follow information to help you achieve restorative sleep.

"You'll be amazed at the difference it makes to your nights sleep. I've tried it and you won't be disappointed, it really works!"

The attached booklet is brought to you courtesy of;
www.yogasherpa.com/SpiritedLife

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and an enlightening 2013

Om Shanti

Yoga Teacher Level 3
Registered Exercise Professional Level 3

EMAIL  peaceyoga@btinternet.com

FACEBOOK GROUP www.facebook.com/groups/143380475725440

IT'S ALL IN THE BREATH

The breath is free and it's the key to reducing stress
Treat yourself to 5-10 minutes proper breathing every day
& reap the benefits!

 

 It's not just about remembering to breathe, it's about breathing properly. Yoga breathing has been proven to positively effect your emotions calming your stressed out body and mind.

During times of stress our cortisol levels raise, we switch on to 'fight or flight' mode. Energy is directed away form our mind to our major muscles ready to 'fight or take flight', making problem solving very difficult creating even more stress. You may or indeed you may not know that Cortisol actually kills brain cells, but you will be pleased to know there is a simple treatment and what's more it's free! The way to lower stress reducing the levels of cortisol in your body is to BREATHE, to really breathe. Set aside 5 - 10 minutes for yourself everyday and follow these simple instructions;

• Sit or lie comfortably

• Close your eyes

• Keep the spine long

• Focus on breathing

• Watch your breath with your minds eye as it enters and leaves your body

• Breathe deeply into the belly, expand the belly and breathe all the way up to the shoulders

• Breathe out letting the chest fall and then gently bring the belly back towards the spine

• Release the belly and repeat (breathe deeply into the belly, etc...
  
• Notice how much calmer you have become.
  
  This breathing will bring clarity to your mind, lower your stress levels reduce the levels of Cortisol and increase the levels of Prolactin. Prolactin improves your ability to learn encouraging Beta brainwaves. Your alertness is improved bringing clarity to think.
  
  This careful attention to breathing has also been scientifically proven to relieve anxiety, lower cholesterol, reduce symptoms of depression, improve your immune system and general well being. Practicing for 5-10 minutes a day and during times of stress can bring big changes for you and your ability to cope in stressful situations.
  
  One point I would like to add is if you have been breathing badly for some time you can experience a feeling of being light headed as a result of taking control of your breath, DO NOT worry this is simply because you are receiving more oxygen than you are used to and the feeling will pass.
  
  For further info watch this somewhat cheesy yet informative video;
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4S_4jX0ERA&feature=youtu.be
  Courtesy of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga
  
  

  
  

Yoga & Meditation for PTSD

Research is discovering that
to calm the mind from trauma
you must reconnect with the body

"Unless you befriend your body you cannot become well" 

Professor of Psychiatry Bessel Van der Kalk

Yoga & Meditation for PTSD, Hakone, Japan 2012

Yoga

According to studies in America Yoga is proving more effective than group therapy sessions for treating the symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Yoga offers the opportunity for victims of trauma to reconnect to their bodies and encourages relaxation. The skills learnt within a Yoga session can give you a portable toolkit to use in your daily life to help maintain calmness within helping to control sensations such as panic. Incredible findings have shown that regular practice can improve your Heart Rate Value this means you have a greater ability to calm yourself when faced with unsettling situations encouraging peace of mind.

Meditation

There is a specific type of meditation for PTSD sufferers called iRest (Integrated Restoration). Studies of veterans in America using this technique have found positive results. Regular practice of meditation through Yoga Nidra (Yoga Sleep) and breathing techniques has proven successful in creating a welcomed sense of self care and inner peace for victims of trauma offering relief from anxiety.

Ref:

'Healing Life's Trauma' http://www.yogajournal.com/health/2532

'Integrated Restoration' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDBnUsGgIcs