Hello Fellow Yogis.

As many of you know, I recently attended 2 workshops by Chris Croft, an Ashtanga yoga teacher. He lives in Devon and travelled up to Surrey for the workshops a few weeks ago.

Both workshops were wonderful and Chris has kindly shared with everyone video extracts from the presentation at the start of each workshop. I have pasted the links to the videos below. They are very informative.

I am sure I will be attending many more of his workshops in the future.

If you would like to find out more about Chris's yoga and workshops, details can be found on his website. http://www.ashtangaworkshop.com/about_chris.php

Mula Bandha Workshop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfbGH1M4jFY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-oDRRfcn2Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_U7rNx5lag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWNZ0DfhRko

Awakening the Psoas Workshop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOfgQLif9nw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3VHUdcrmIQ&feature=related
I look forward to starting another round of wonderful yoga classes with you all. Details to follow in an email.

If you would like to subscribe to my website to receive updates and information, please contact me via my contacts page.

Enjoy the sunshine and have a wonderful Easter break!

Warm regards.

Carrie-Anne.

Have you ever thought about Nutrition in the wider sense?

Good nutrition is vital to our health both long term and short term. Many of us feel that good nutrition is all about what we eat. This is true to some extent although we can nourish our mind and spirit as well as our body and as they are linked, it makes sense that everything we eat will therefore have an effect on our mind, body and spirit.

Most of us today are swept up in the fast pace of life and often do not make time to either plan or prepare a balanced diet. We rush around reaching for a snack that will fill the hole but that actually has little or no nutritional benefit. Our world has become more packaged, processed and refined. Many of our foods contain additives and preservatives, too much salt and sugar and not enough of the vitamins and minerals that our body needs to renew, heal and energize. Many of the additives and preservatives, refined sugars and high fats that we consume have a massive impact on the way we feel and behave. It is thought that children are more likely to become hyperactive and badly behaved after eating certain additives. We have got so used to eating this way we think we feel ‘normal’ under this influence. If we were to stop and consciously change our eating habits we would see the benefits of a healthy diet straight away. Our energy and concentration would improve and our general health and wellbeing would benefit enormously. We may find we sleep better and feel calmer. It is also psychologically good to eat well. When we feel we are doing the best we can for our body, and know we are treating it with the love and respect it deserves; it can lead to a happier and healthier attitude in other areas of our life also. 

We should eat to nourish our body, mind and spirit. Yogi Bhajan is quoted as saying “Each time we eat, we are creating our future self.”  Certain foods can be looked upon as medicine as they have the ability to both prevent and eliminate certain diseases. Over-cooking foods drastically reduces the amount of vitamins and minerals they contain, so eating as much raw food as possible is preferable.  It is advisable to eat foods that are low in saturated fats, these tend to be plant or nut based; they are usually a liquid when at room temperature. Omega 3 is very beneficial and can be found in a lot of foods, especially oily fish like mackerel and sardines. Spinach and pumpkin seeds are also a good source. Saturated fats are mostly animal fats and are often found in processed foods such as biscuits, pasties, fried food, and meat and dairy products. Eating too much saturated fat is said to be a contributing factor in diseases like heart disease and high blood pressure. Processed foods and foods that contain white flour and refined sugar are also best avoided. We should make sure we have enough protein in our diet; a lack of protein will result in our body being less able to renew and regenerate blood, muscles, hair, nails and skin efficiently. Protein also helps our body produce certain enzymes and hormones. Meat, fish, beans, tofu, nuts, and diary products are all a good source of protein, although many yogis choose not to eat meat. The ‘Kundalini Yoga Cookbook’, written by Ek Ong Kar Singh and Jacquelin Koay, states that in yogic philosophy there are 6 basic elements of yogic food, one of which is to avoid any food that is said to have a mother, eggs is an example. It also states that a vegetarian diet could be considered to be the healthier option because the digestive system of a human is similar to that of the herbivore. Choosing to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables helps us to maintain a good daily intake of vitamins and minerals. They also provide essential fibre. Eating enough fibre gives our body an internal workout. It is also a good way of sustaining energy. Foods that are high in fibre and complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain foods like brown bread and brown rice are also good at sustaining energy. They are released into our system slowly so we are less likely to get the sudden ‘high’ that is associated with refined foods like white bread, chocolate, cakes and fizzy drinks.

We should also make sure we drink plenty of water each day. The recommended amount is around 2 litres. Water is essential to our wellbeing. If we do not drink enough water we become dehydrated. Our system begins to slow down and toxins begin to build up in our body. This will leave us feeling tired, sluggish and we may suffer from headaches and aches and pains. Every part of our bodily system needs to be kept hydrated for it to continue to work efficiently, for example; our joints need to be kept supple or we may be more prone to diseases like arthritis later in life. Lots of us love a cup of tea or coffee each day and may often prefer to choose this over a glass of water, but caffeine, and also the sugar and sweeteners that we so often put in our tea, can be harmful to our health if taken in excess. Caffeine is a stimulant, which will affect our energy levels greatly. It is also contained in many soft drinks; which are often consumed at high levels. I know people who drink nothing but fizzy drinks. The Caffeine and sugar contained in these drinks can cause us to experience a period of heightened energy, especially mental energy, where we find it hard to settle and switch our mind off. This is followed by a sudden fall in energy, often to a point below the energy level we had before we drank it. It is this behaviour pattern that is so commonly observed in young children. When I was younger I used to think this was all a myth but now I am a mum of two children, I can quite easily see a staggering difference in their behaviour according to the diet they have had. I would advise any mum not to buy fizzy drinks and to keep their children’s diets as natural as possible. Another drink that can be very harmful to our health if consumed to excess is alcohol. There is evidence that a certain amount of alcohol could be beneficial but as it is so addictive and is in theory a poison to our body, it is quiet easily abused. Drinking too much alcohol puts a tremendous strain on the liver. The liver is arguably one of the most important organs in the human body. It is responsible for many important processes including manufacturing and storing bile, which is essential for the process of breaking down fats, it also breaks down toxins, amino acids and cells that are worn-out and are of no further use to the body. It maintains blood sugar levels and stores vitamins, A, D, E and K. It produces vitamin A and plasma proteins along with minerals such as Iron. It is essential to the health and function of our digestive systems and blood systems and it builds the heat energy needed to maintain a healthy metabolism. Looking after your liver will have endless health benefits.

Another essential part of a healthy diet is to avoid bad eating habits. We should eat regularly to give the body a constant source of energy but we should also listen to how much our body wants to eat. Eating too quickly is a common problem. If we eat too quickly, we usually eat too much! We should slow down, and enjoy what we are eating, listen to our body and stop when we are full. We should also avoid snacking between meals. If we need to snack we should choose something healthy like fruit or a yogurt. It is important never to miss breakfast because our body’s metabolism kicks in when we have eaten, so eating a nutritious breakfast is a good way of maintaining a steady metabolism. Eating breakfast also helps you to concentrate because it gives you the energy your brain needs to get started in the morning; most of us would not have eaten for a few hours.

In Yogic philosophy, everything in the Universe, including everything we eat, is governed by three primary forces known as Gunas. Everything we do and come into contact with has an effect on the mind, body and spirit. The gunas classify foods by the effect they have on the body, the mind and spirit. The three gunas are; Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva stands for love, life, light, harmony, balance, wisdom and purity. It also relates to our spiritual involvement. Rajas stands for passion, ambition, involvement in the material world, greed and desire and drive. Tamas stands for darkness, lethargy, dullness, ignorance, a lack of vision and a lack of awareness, and inertia. Each food is likened to a guna, for example; unprocessed foods that are ripe and pure such as organic fresh fruit and vegetables would be sattvic. Another example would be that of hot or energizing foods such as onions, chillies and coffee being said to incite a person into action. If they are over-consumed they may arouse strong feelings. It states in the ‘Kundalini Yoga Cook Book’ that widows in India are traditionally discouraged from eating hot dishes because they arouse strong feelings of desire and so are best avoided. An example of a Tamas food would be mushrooms; they grow in the dark and feed on decaying matter. Alcohol, cheese and foods that are decomposing, such as meat, are also tamas. A food can be altered from its given nature by cooking, decay or by being combined with other foods and spices. This is why it is best to keep food as fresh as possible and avoid over cooking. Prana is essential to life. It is found in everything around us. Prana is found in the food that we eat and the air that we breathe. If we eat foods that take more prana to digest than they provide we may be left feeling lethargic, therefore by eating plenty of fresh foods and foods that are easily digested, we will be nourishing our body and mind not only with essential vitamins and minerals but with essential prana. The breath is probably the most important and immediate way we have of nourishing our mind, body and spirit, therefore by practicing regular yoga, pranayama and meditation, we will ensure our physical, mental and emotional bodies are nourished and energized. Colours can be used to nourish our subtle body too. Each chakra has a colour associated with it. By eating foods which are strong in colour, we can influence how we feel emotionally and physically.

I mentioned earlier that in yogic philosophy it states that it is best to avoid food that has a mother. This originates from one of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Yama, means ‘moral restraint’, and relates to restraint in the things we say, do and think. 5 Yamas are listed in the Yoga Sutra, one of which is Ahimsa. This means non-violence. In the world we live in, we experience violence in many ways. One of which is the poor care and slaughter of farmed animals. As a society we have become detached from the origins of many of the foods we eat. As a consequence we find it harder to empathise with these animals’ suffering. I do rarely eat meat but I do not tend to buy it for myself. I only usually eat it if someone else has bought it and prepared it already. This is because whenever I go to pick a piece of meat from the supermarket shelves, I think of the animal that lost its life. I feel that every life is as important as my own, so I would rather not eat meat. Some may say that this is an oversensitive attitude but it is easily explained if you put it into the context of having to kill our own food. The way society has become has allowed us to detach from this process, somehow making it easier. In yogic philosophy it states that the pain and fear an animal experiences as it is killed gets absorbed into the tissues of the animal, therefore when it is eaten this negative energy is transferred to the person eating the meat. Many animals are also being fed high protein diets in order to fatten them up more quickly. It is thought that the high protein feed given to cattle in the past, which was said to contain sheep’s brains, contributed to the BSE outbreak. There have been many food scares over the years, one I remember most was the salmonella scare in eggs. Most chickens are now vaccinated against salmonella but each time a scare is announced many of us suddenly become aware that we have no idea where our food has originated from, how long it has been travelling around and how well it has been kept during its journey onto the shelves. High demands in the quality and amount of food that is available to us means farmers are competing strongly with each other, so over time they have adopted practices to increase the size and weight of their animals or crop production. Many animals are being injected with hormones and antibiotics and these may have detrimental effects on our health in the future. Animals are the first to suffer, with practices like factory farming; we are constantly sacrificing the welfare and happiness of thousands of animals on a daily basis to fulfil our own requirements. I have heard stories of cows crying for hours after their calves have been taken away to slaughter. They miss their young. They are then continually milked to feed our demand.

It is not only animals that suffer as a result of societies ‘convenience’ culture, the planet is suffering badly. Another cause for concern in today’s intensive farming practice is that of GM production. I read in the Independent on Friday 20^th June that crops are being modified to tolerate high powered pesticides and weed killers to enable farmers to reduce the number of less powerful pesticides they have to use, therefore saving them time, money and labour. This may appear to be a good thing on the surface but these powerful chemicals are having a more harmful effect on the wildlife than the chemicals used previously. GM produce is being researched and manufactured by the very companies that are manufacturing the high powered weed killers, so these crops are not being manufactured in any way to benefit the human race. It is only now that certain governments within some developing countries are starting to look at the possibility of growing GM produce that will be tolerant of drought. We are also unsure of the future health consequences of eating food that contains GM produce. If a farm animal has been reared on GM based produce, we do not have to be told. So the milk we buy or the meat on the shelves may have been influenced by GM modified material and we would be none the wiser. Over production of food causes its own problems. Unsold products are being shipped and stored around the world, causing problems like the well publicised butter mountain issue.

There are so many issues concerning the fast paced, detached way we choose to live our lives today and now the wheels are in motion, it is harder to reverse the process but it is possible. It is also possible to protect ourselves and the planet from further harm, by each of us taking his or her positive action to counter-act what has been started. Global warming is having a tremendous effect on the planet, with reports that Bangladesh will be under the sea by the time the children born today are old, and the melting ice caps in the Antarctic. In order to counter-act some of these issues, we should start to turn our attention towards loving and nurturing our selves, our planet and each other. We should use our cars less, use less electricity and think pro-actively when shopping in order to reduce waste by planning meals and buying products that are eco friendly.  We should place greater emphasis on spending more time with the people we love. By feeding the soul through reading and education and by sharing laughter, music and fun, we will feel uplifted and more positive about ourselves and the world around us. If each of us take our own small steps towards a kinder and more natural world, by introducing our children and loved ones to alternative ways of living, we can begin to move towards a more pleasant and healthy world. Unfortunately many of us do not have the time to grow our own vegetables but we could choose to buy vegetables that are grown nearer to home, therefore cutting down on the pollution caused by their transportation. We would also get to feel the benefit of seasonal living, where we eat what is in season at the time. This would open each of us up to a new way of looking at food, perhaps with a renewed sense of appreciation for what we have. The cycle of life means that when we plant a seed, water it, feed it, nurture it and watch it grow, it will, when the time is right, nourish us. This is the circle of life that we should be living but one that unfortunately most of us have forgotten. This world is beautiful and when looked after and respected will provide us with all we could ever need in order to sustain a fulfilled and healthy life. Spending time in nature will bring our consciousness back into the moment and nourish us with pranic energy. The more time we spend close to nature the more it will remind us of how wonderful this world is and as a result could ultimately influence us to into a new way of being.

Please contact me if you would like any more information about the yoga sessions I offer.

What is Relaxation?

Most of us today, live our lives with a certain amount of stress and worry clouding our thoughts. Our minds are constantly active and we often find ourselves living not in the present but bouncing around between the past and the future.

In relaxation, the aim is to still both the body and the mind and free them from the tension caused by daily concerns. When relaxed, we find it easier to connect to the self, opening us up to our intuition and releasing us from fear.

We store fear in our muscles in the form of knots. These knots then cause energy blocks that can manifest later as pain and disease. During relaxation, our muscles start to relax and our heart rate slows down.

Taking long, slow, deep breaths has a physical effect on the body as it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system into action. It also increases the oxygen in our blood that then nourishes every cell in our body, helping us to heal. This is known as the ‘rest and renew’ stage.

Focusing on the breath helps us to still the mind by bringing our awareness back into the body and away from whatever we were thinking about. Bringing the awareness and attention back to the physical body also helps increase sensitivity and awareness of the self. Consciously focusing on sensitive areas such as the nostrils and face make it easier to feel the muscles relaxing. We are then more able to recognise relaxation in the less sensitive muscles. It also teaches us to recognise when our muscles are tense and gives us the knowledge and ability to induce relaxation whenever we feel the need.

To still the mind we must stop all thought processes. When we think, we create a reaction in the brain. If we were to think about playing football or washing the car, our brains would send messages to our body to prepare it for the task. Any physical movement will also create arousal in the brain, so in order to shut down the arousal state, we must stop all thoughts and still the mind and the body.

The brain is split into two hemispheres. The left hand side is the rational side. This is the side we want to close down to achieve full relaxation. The right side of the brain is the creative and imaginative side. This is more active during deep relaxation. We are more open to our own creativity when in a relaxed state. We are also more susceptive to suggestion. Using positive and calming visualisations together with affirmations help us to move further into relaxation. They also help to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system into action.

Relaxation creates a feeling of space in the body and the mind. Both are freed from tension and this creates a feeling of openness and contentment. The more relaxed we get the closer to a feeling of bliss we become. Bliss is the state that is often used to describe a state of enlightenment or complete connection to the spiritual self.

When we are relaxed we gain a better perspective on life and the situations within it. We gain the ability to fully embrace life and can deal with the things life throws at us in a calmer and more intuitive way. The more we practice relaxation, the greater the amount of relaxation energy that flows round our system, our energy centres are also opened and balanced. 

Relaxation helps to free us from earthly traits and brings unity between the body, mind and spirit.

Benefits of Mountain Pose - Tadasana

Benefits of Mountain Pose - Tadasana

Stand with your feet about an inch apart and make contact with the floor. With your toes pointed forward distribute your weight evenly across the soles of your feet. You should be able to lift your toes off the floor. This shows you are distributing your weight correctly and not gripping the floor with your toes. Spread your toes and push down into the floor evenly with both feet to ground yourself. Extend upwards through your spine to the crown of your head, roll your shoulder blades down your back to open through the chest, pull your stomach in and tuck the tail bone under. Tighten the thigh muscles to pull the knee caps up but do not lock the knees. Check that your chin is parallel to the floor. Establish the 3 lines of energy in this pose by ensuring you continue to extend upwards through the crown of your head, down through the soles of your feet and down the arms to the fingers.

Variations

You can practice this pose in a relaxed way, where you just feel the stillness of being in the moment and do not actively energize the pose.

You can also stand with your hands in prayer mudra at your heart centre.

You can stand with your big toes and ankles touching, this is slightly more advanced as it requires more balance.

Mental Benefits

This pose promotes stillness in both the mind and the body, you learn to just be. It is a very upright pose that brings a feeling of strength and confidence. It is also very opening, which frees you from fear. Tadasana is a good pose to bring a student back to stillness between asanas. It is a very grounding posture because of the connection to the earth through the soles of the feet. It also connects you to the sky because you are extending upwards and standing as tall as you can be. Balance is also an important factor in this posture. As you practice it you are balanced from left to right, from front to back, from the earth to the sky and the mind and body become united. Through the awareness of all of these things you are freed from fear and your consciousness is raised. You also feel uplifted. This pose teaches awareness, of the breath, of the body and of the mind. A mountain is a symbol of strength, stillness and presence. You benefit from all these things when practicing this posture.

Chakras

Tadasana balances the crown, 3^rd eye (Brow), the heart and the navel (Solar Plexus) chakras, as a result you gain the mental and physical benefits of working these chakras.

Solar Plexus – The human talent for this chakra is commitment. A strong naval centre enables a person to have control over his or her actions. Once activated, a person will feel vibrant and alive. They are energetic, organised and goal orientated.

Brow Chakra – This chakra is associated with the pituitary gland which regulates serotonin, the bodies feel good enzyme. Research has shown that the production of serotonin is a major function in the health of our emotional wellbeing. The human talent for this chakra is intuition.

Crown Chakra – This crown chakra is linked to the pineal gland which produces melatonin. Melatonin aids sleep and is a powerful antioxidant and helps prevent ageing in the brain. This chakra is also linked to the nervous system, skeletal system and circulatory system. The human talent is connection. The ability to make a leap of faith stems from here, we feel safe to head into the unknown, knowing that we are being looked after. This is the area where we are most connected to spirit.

Heart Centre – This chakra is linked to the sense of touch and movement. The arms and hands are also associated with it. This chakra holds the human talent of compassion. It breeds kindness and goodwill. This is the most powerful energy centre.

Physical Benefits

Tadasana teaches you to spread your weight evenly in a pose. We learn how it feels to be correctly balanced, which is good practice for the correct alignment of more advanced postures. It builds strength and flexibility in the whole body as it works all the major muscle groups. Circulation is improved. It builds heat for other poses because although it is a gentle posture it can be quite strenuous. Digestion is aided. Tadasana is an invigorating pose that leaves your body feeling relaxed and energized. Balance is improved which also helps our confidence in more advanced postures.

Bandhas

The root lock can be practiced while in tadasana, if a student is able to remain balanced.

Moola Bandha – ROOT LOCK

When practicing this lock, focus on the energy moving up your spine to your third eye or crown chakras. This bandha is beneficial in the treatment of psychosomatic and some degenerative illnesses due to the release of energy that occurs. It benefits asthma, bronchitis and arthritis sufferers because its effects spread throughout the body via the brain and endocrine system. It is also known to relieve depression. Once perfected, this bandha leads to a spontaneous realignment of the physical, mental and psychic bodies, which prepares us for spiritual awakening. Sexual disorders are helped as this bandha is also a means to sexual control.

General Benefits of the Bandhas

By holding the inhaled breath, you benefit from the fresh oxygen you are retaining. This cleanses and purifies the body. Internal organs are massaged as you tighten the muscles. They have a positive effect on the endocrine system by working on different glands such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. They break down negative energy in the body which leads to ill health. They help to distribute prana and nourish the subtle body, which can lead to the release of kundalini.

Contradictions for Tadasana; Mountain Pose

As with any balance, if the student is suffering from any disorder that can affect their balance, it is wise to practice the asana near a wall, chair or table for support. Pregnant women and menstruating women should stand with their feet hip distance apart when practicing Tadasana. People with low blood pressure should be careful when standing still for extended periods of time.

New Yoga Freedom monthly Blog

Hello fellow Yogi's!

I would like to introduce you to the new Yoga Freedom Blog.

Each month I will be uploading an article regarding Yoga and it's benefits.

I thought it would be a great way of highlighting why I am so passionate about this wonderful art.

Please feel free to let me know of any comments you may have, or of any items you would like me to research and review on your behalf. I can be contacted via my email; carrieanne@yogafreedom.co.uk.

This month I will be starting with a review on the benefits of Tadasana, sometimes referred to as Mountain Pose.

I do hope you enjoy the Yoga Freedom Blog.

Warm regards.

Carrie-Anne.