Vula Yoga

Mula bandha is a very important part of our practice and it starts the energetic lift of sending energy upwards. Physically, it helps us to lift up, grow tall and it activates the core muscles. It helps to protect the lower back and correct the alignment of the posture. Engaging Mula bandha is the feeling of cutting off the flow of urine, squeezing everything “down there” in and UP!

Mula bandha should be applied throughout the practice. It directs consciousness from the mundane to the spiritual and reminds us of our higher intention.

Bandha means to lock and refers to three interior body "locks" used in asana and pranayama practice to control the flow of energy. The bandhas are engaged through muscular contraction of specific parts of the body. Mula bandha is engaged throughout an asana class to support standing poses, activate deep core strength, and help achieve lightness in the body.

Mula Bandha helps you stay strong and steady in your asana practice. When you suck everything "in and up" it activates your core muscles and improves your posture.

Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0tGCGUMHsyRLTUqh8FGkUz?si=SC-fj-tuRMCtwDU3Q-0oPA

"You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens." Louise Hay

 This fascinating body of mine always supports me, allows me to play and giggle, allows me to breathe and connect, allows me to experience this life to the best of my ability... And I am SO unbelievably grateful for her!

Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NAXuJcUqyHJQfT7cualKk?si=1DrQ8znlRsifeNgxHHumuw

How incredible is my body?!?! How incredible is YOUR body?!?! Have you ever taken a moment to thank your magnificent body for all the mind-blowing things it does for you every single day without you having to consciously do anything at all?

Next time you start beating up on your phenomenal body, pause for a moment and thank this gorgeous creation of yours for it's constant help, support and life-giving brilliance. (Even when we are so judgmental and mean to it)

As yogi's our instrument is our own bodies and the practice asks us to get so intimately acquainted with ourselves that we know our bodies and ourselves inside out.

This week I challenge you to really BE in your body. Listen to her/him. Really feel what it feels like to move, to breath, to connect with yourself.

Maybe you'll be surprised at the things your body can teach you.

Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NAXuJcUqyHJQfT7cualKk?si=-Pqx8sm1RcuHJoU0lV0rtw

Have you ever stood in the shower and thought "have I washed my hair already?" Arrived at work with no recollection of how you got there? This is us living on autopilot. And if we can do simple acts on autopilot, what else can we do so unconsciously? Have entire relationships on autopilot, live our entire lives?

This moment right now is all we have, there is nowhere else to be. This is where all our lessons live. This is where we have the power to direct our lives and fall madly in love with ourselves.

Make sure you've got access to a small portion of wall for this practice. We're turning ourselves into Spiderman!

Spotify Playlist: 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5OJayk0CGU2BKI8g8EJLmN?si=DNaSmOKAQCGgqrHKb4jtSg

We all know that everything is made up of vibrations. Om is the vibration of the Universe. It is the sound and frequency that the entire Universe vibrates to. When we chant Om we are resetting our frequencies, our energy to this divine, Universal vibration. We are resetting the vibration of our body, mind and thoughts because these things are made up of vibration as well. We chant to reconnect with ourselves, this Universal energy, this divinity is inside you already. Chanting Om wipes the slate clean energetically. You can put your stuff to the side for a moment and connect with that divine energy and frequency that you are made up of. We chant Om to truly connect with ourselves, the true Self, the higher self.

Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6n1z2sNeUmb08rG4Mdve46?si=kiCCANiUQwKo6j27KH7adQ

Yoga is known mostly for its physical practices, the poses (or asana) and yes, that is a very significant part of the practice. But did you know that Yoga also teaches mindfulness and being conscious in the present moment? It teaches about compassion, non-violence, respectfulness, self-love and learning how to live beautifully so you can die happily. What does Yoga mean to you?

Spotify Playlist: 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1TkB5qNjwWYMmVXZEHy7oi?si=9fU8nMVgT_m9tAVcPWJn2w

Okay, so what is an intention? The word ‘intention’ is a “thing intended; an aim or plan”, but interestingly within the field of medicine, it also refers to “the healing process of a wound”. It is so beautifully powerful to use your intention in your yoga class to heal yourself. An intention is something recognised as the practice of bringing awareness to a quality or virtue you’d like to cultivate for yourself.

And why is it so important to set an intention when we practice?

To focus our minds as we move through our practice and to give the monkey mind an object to focus on.

Consciously choosing an intention means you can direct your energy onto that object. You can constantly remind yourself of the object and bring your awareness back to it. In doing that, you are placing your awareness and ENERGY on this object, so you want to make sure that what you’re focusing on is something that will move, grow, serve or help you shift your perspective.

It gives you the ability to change things that need to be changed and ensures connection between mind, energy, breath, yoga practice and everyday life.

Make sure you've got two blocks and a wall handy for this one.

Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0YktAs8lTzWF1sl259dNpR?si=jrk-hK9QT_GASnRQU8JKgw

Yoga Nidra is known as Yoga Sleep. It is that state between being asleep and wakefulness. When you are in this state you are very susceptible to positive affirmations, to relaxation and to harmony. The process of Yoga Nidra is for the person to lie down comfortably and purely listen to the teacher, making sure they do not fall asleep completely or wander off and think of something else. The student follows the teacher's voice into a deep state of rest and relaxation. Into a state of just being.

This Yoga Nidra Audio Class has been put together especially for you to help ease and let go of stress.

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Karma comes from the root word Kr - which means “to act”.

“The law of karma is a universal doctrine, operating as surely as the law of gravity. If you plant a seed in the ground, the karma of the seed is to grow. If you throw something up in the air, the karmic result is for it to come down. The word karma encompasses all movement, of the mind as well as the body. These movements can be conscious or unconscious; regardless, the karmic result is still ours.” - Jivamukti Yoga textbook

Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2WnTtwT6ZOFOOdvHb1Nx2E?si=4AeQsC63QaiXeXtM8QJWcQ

These are by far my favourite group of poses. Opening into your hips can start out feeling a bit painful and scary. You may approach them with resentment and hesitation but once you start to work with these poses and get to the juiciness of them, that’s when the magic happens. Physically, hips openers work on releasing the psoas muscles, which are known as our "stress" muscles. They are the muscles that are activated when our sympathetic nervous system is triggered resulting in our "fight or flight" response. Because of our super stressful lifestyles, the muscles are constantly engaged and we are never afforded the opportunity to relax them to calm the nervous system. Working with hip opening poses gives us the perfect tools to start to let go of the tension in those muscles and take control of the damaging effects stress causes in the body. Emotionally, opening into the hips helps to release past, unresolved stress related to certain relationships we hold. We store a lot of our emotions in our bodies, especially in our hips. Working with the breath and hip opening Yoga poses will help you to release and resolve those emotions.

Spotify Playlist: 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5w5WuPaB7H1koxk97xQtVe?si=cq4Mr3laQkKTdQwS8LF3_Q