Posted: May 11th, 2010 | Author: jennihsurf | Filed under: Yoga | No Comments »
vrschikasana – Bali 2009
The scorpion pose serves to develop strength, balance, flexibility in the body; determination and perseverance in the mind. On a deeper level Vrschikasana 1 not only suggests new possibilities for the body, but in striving to perfect the pose, offers a door opening to dramatic transformation and an evolving awareness of the potential for accepting humility into one’s heart.
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On a different yoga note, i would like to share some interesting reads i found earlier from HERE
Eoin developed Blissology in order to teach others how to cultivate harmonious relationship with their bodies, mind and heart along with the larger web of life; through the experience of connected, intelligent, and uplifting yoga asanas. Blissology Yoga provides a foundation for intelligent movement, resisting gravity to counter the compression of joints, developing better energy flow for healing of injuries, neuromuscular and energetic re-patterning, clear thinking under pressure, and restoring the body and mind from the stresses of both athletics and everyday life.
“Save the world by getting into a hammock” says Blissologist, Eoin Finn
For most of us, achieving balance in the stressed out, fast paced race of life is an everyday struggle. From appointment to appointment, many of us may find it hard to achieve calm within a society obsessed with instant gratification. Canada’s most well known and well loved yogi and creator of Blissology (a form of yoga and meditation which teaches how to cultivate harmonious relationships with our bodies, mind and heart along with the larger web of life), has set out to prove that you can save the world by getting in a hammock for just five minutes a day.
The whole idea behind “hammock enlightenment” came from Finn’s realization that what really harms most people and affects their longevity is the buildup of every day stress. Much of the stress in life comes from the need to achieve more and more, to keep up with the Jones or join the rat race.
“There is nothing wrong with having goals and aspirations,” says Finn, “but when you look at the never ending to do list’s and the rise of stress related illnesses, clearly something is out of balance.”
Since we are such a “doing” society, most people don’t take the time to allow one’s mind to come to a still space. By rushing to your next chiropractic appointment, running to your workout, or scanning your many emails, you are actually disregarding your body’s intuitive feedback loop and disconnecting from the natural rhythm that your body follows in order to be healthy. Lying in a hammock almost instantly slows down your mind so that you can tune into your body and really listen to what is going on inside – key for health and longevity. Eoin Finn quotes Dr. Oz’s book You the Owner’s Manual, “The real key to achieving longevity in life is not running a marathon or participating in a triathlon, but being able to learn how to truly relax your mind and body.”
Lying in a hammock essentially re-trains your mind to relax and encourages you to create a space and time for things to be still.
In addition, Finn says, “One of the key physical benefits to “hammock enlightenment” is that your bones are fully supported when you are lying in a hammock and we are not fighting the compression on our joints like we are everyday when sitting at a desk or running around. In addition, this type of deep relaxation will elevate your serotonin and cortisol levels leading to the relaxation of your digestive and nervous systems.”
So the next time you think about running to finish all your lunchtime errands, take five minutes of out your day to seek solace in a hammock and reap the benefits of a truly blissful state of mind and spirit. Your body and mind will thank you for it
Eoin Finn will be setting up “spontaneous relaxation” hammock sites across the country to encourage the idea of Blissology or creating a harmonious state within the community and ecology. For more information on Blissology Yoga and Hammock enlightenment, please contact: kristin@thevanguardpr.com or 514.594.5438
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I will be posting more info about Eoin and Blissology as i find it useful for the yoga community. :)
Hope all my fellow yoga practitioners out there are having fun stretching!
Namaste in love, peace & harmony
-J
Posted: May 5th, 2010 | Author: jennihsurf | Filed under: Yoga | Tags: art of breathing, pranayama, Yoga | 3 Comments »
the art or breathing … is synonym to living.
in life or in yoga… what encourages us to continue challenging ourselves during any postures/activity is our breath.
with a stable, smooth and prolonged breathing, it shows that our mind is calm enough to tell our body that it is confident to perform a posture gracefully.
with the same theory, we can apply it to our normal daily routines.
if our mind is clear and focused enough to achieve a certain goal… for sure, the goal is easily within reach.
But if our mind, thoughts and words are clouded by uncertainty, doubt, fear, rejection, and negativity, nothing can be obtained or achieved successfully.
i always believe that yoga is not something we can apply just on our yoga practices, but it is something we can apply on our everyday lives.
always try to remove unwanted thoughts from our mind… and anything, is possible when our mind is clear.
i have always hear of sayings, that our mind is so powerful that sometimes it can defy gravity.
BUT, what i truly believe, is the logic that when our mind is in peace, paired with the awareness of a goal that we set to achieve at one time, the result will be beyond our own expectations. that, is the true power of our self instead of our mind.
this is why, yoga is also defined as union with our body, mind and soul while our emotion, intelligence and action is in balance. By understanding this, you will not only have a physical understanding on yoga, but you will also understand it spiritually and lead a meaningful life where your body is in harmony with your mind and soul.
i hope my words are not too confusing for anyone to understand, but if you can just try this very easy exercise, you may understand what i mean.
1. sit comfortably, relax and close your eyes.
2. breathe normally. try to empty your mind and remove all thoughts and conversations from your mind. if you can’t empty your mind, try to focus on the tip of your nose.
3. once you are relaxed and calmed, imagine a strong bright light, coming into your body from the top of your head, travelling slowly into your mind, your eyes, nose, mouth, neck, shoulder and slowly to your heart.
4. imagine the light shining brighter once it reaches your heart… and continues to shine even brighter. and brighter.
5. once it reaches a point where you feel your heart is warm… move the light slowly to your arms, hands, waist, hips, legs, and slowly.. your whole body is covered with light.
6. slowly feel how warm your body become.. and how the light shines from your body , brightening your surrounding .
7. once you’re comfortable, imagine the light slowly fading away.
this small practice, is very good to destress ourself after a tiring day at work or any stressful situation you are experiencing.
the point is to understand that we can be anything we want ourselves to be, if we focus on it hard enough.
the first time i tried this exercise… it made me understand how powerful yoga is, and how it affects my believe in my own self.
i would say, yoga is me right now, as it has taught me how to value and experience my life in a different level. if i can, i will try my best to share my experience with as many people as i can because i truly believe that values in yoga is beneficial to everyone.
i hope you will find my post useful.
:)
ahimsa,
Jen
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