syoga4uHere is the mantra meditation we used in last week’s sessions. Not everyone wants to try meditation but if the reason it puts people off is a feeling of pressure to empty the mind or forcefully sit still then this could be the one.
We use a mantra or phrase and a tap of each finger.
?Peace
?Begins
?With
?Me
Feel free to change the first word for one that sits better with you.
Heading into the school holidays might be the perfect time to try this.
How good does it feel to sigh?
Use your breath to create space in your body. As you inhale, where is that breath going? Where is the space? Where is the body expanding? How is the body moving to allow for the growth to occur? Now what do you do with that space? See if you can invite softness to it as you release the exhale.
This is a beautiful way to connect the mind, breath and body. It can be done in any position, even seated and lying down but here we explore it in Puppy Pose. Let me know how you get on.
There are many ways to modify this pose. It’s a difficult balance and requires a really strong supporting leg but there are ways to make it work for you.
Try it in side plank. This requires less strength on the supporting leg but gives you the ability to have a go at balancing, taking the gaze up, shining the heart and hips forwards, maybe lift the top leg too.
If all this works try it standing and have a wall behind you for support.
Have fun and smile!
Join me for an alternative way to come into downward facing dog. I usually encourage lengthening the legs and the hips automatically rise. Try leading with your sit bones instead. Focus on the length from firmly grounded hands, up the arms through wide shoulders, along the spine and into the sit bones. Legs can absolutely be left bent here to encourage those sit bones to towards the sky. Smile and breathe too! ?
A HUGE THANK YOU for joining me this month. I’ve really enjoyed putting this together and sharing the non-mat related yoga.
If you want to learn more about the Yamas and Niyamas that we dipped our toes into between days 2 and 13, they are from The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. One of my favourite parts of the teacher training I did.
Be present, give yourself permission to spend time with you. You are the most important person in your life.
Now all that’s left for me to say is ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS! Look after yourself and your family. xx
The table below will link to each of the days that we’ve covered this month.
| 1 | 5 minute for you – savasana | Invite silence and stillness |
| 2 | The Yamas | Attitudes towards our environment |
| 3 | Ahimsa – Non-Violence | Find empathy and compassion |
| 4 | Satya – Truthfulness | Find authenticity and be true to yourself |
| 5 | Asteya – Non-Stealing | Question your needs and how you fulfil them |
| 6 | Brahmacharya – Moderation | Enjoy more of life by living it moderately |
| 7 | Aparigraha – Non-Hoarding | Letting go to create freedom and energy |
| 8 | The Niyamas | Attitude towards ourself |
| 9 | Saucha – Purity | Cleanliness of the mind and body |
| 10 | Santosha – Contentment | Appreciate what you have right now |
| 11 | Tapas – Discipline | Persistence and routine |
| 12 | Svadhyaya – Self Study | Observe yourself |
| 13 | Isvara-pranidhana – Surrender | Submit to your higher power |
| 14 | Gauge yourself | Check in on yourself before others |
| 15 | Body Scan | Connect with yourself |
| 16 | Grounding | Become present |
| 17 | Gratitude | Appreciation |
| 18 | Breath | Become centred |
| 19 | Intention/Mantra | Invite positivity |
| 20 | Rest | Take time out |
| 21 | Reflect | Search for the good stuff |
We’re coming to the end of our countdown. It’s 21st December, the Winter Solstice. Not only the shortest day of 2020 but also a day to pause and reflect. What a year!
It might be easy to think about what we lost this year but today I encourage you to turn this around. Let’s end on a high and find some positivity. What did 2020 give you? How did you grow this year? From every part of your year, month, weak or day, each breath you take, movement you make, activity you do, there is an opportunity to learn and grow. Keep learning. Keep growing. Check in tomorrow for a few reminders of our journey.
In any way that suits you and only for 5 minutes, if that’s what you can spare. It doesn’t have to be in Savasana or even on a mat. Pick a comfy spot and your own position then take that moment just for you. Recognised that you are allowing this time for yourself. You deserve it. If you think you might struggle to quieten your busy mind, you could run through my grounding and/or body scan audio. If you find more time after the audio, spend it with your breath letting your mind feel the nourishment and release.
We get a two in one day today. Setting an intention and a mantra are different things but we’ll combine them today to see how they work together. Firstly, I invite you to find an intention. Something that you want to be more of. Just a little word of warning here. Please be very careful not to create something that might cause any negative thoughts later. Something that might bring feelings of failure, something you might not achieve. Let’s start small. This is only one day and you can set any number of intentions after this. My favourite two are to be more calm and present so my intention would be “I want to be more present” or “I want to feel calm”. You might want to feel more love or less pressure.
Now let’s look at how you can build this intention into your day. We’ll take it and set it into a mantra, something very simple that you can remember and repeat. We’re going big on positivity here so we’ll start our mantra with “I am…”. My intention to be more present would become “I am here”. This would remind me to be more present throughout my day or during my practice on the mat. My intention for calmness would become “I am calm” to encourage a feeling of peace. The other options would become “I am loved” or “I am enough” because you are and you just needed a reminder throughout your day. Use your mantra today. Repeat it to yourself often. At the end of today, let it go because tomorrow is a new day and you can start over again.
If there is one thing to be grateful for today, make it your breath. At some point today, see if you can find time to connect with your breath. Spend a minute being aware of your breath, not changing it in any way, just feeling it entering the body and leaving. Maybe where it travels to in the body and where it leaves from.
Think of your inhales as nourishing the body and your exhales as releasing, letting go. Let you belly be soft and take a full, nourishing inhale through your nostrils, filling up the body. Exhale fully and audibly out of your mouth, feeling a release. Repeat as often as needed.
We’re bringing back a little Santosha from day 10 today and finding some gratitude. You may already do this on a daily basis. If so, this is just a reminder.
Before you day gets going or you’re too busy to stop and think, see if you can come up with three things in your life that you’re grateful for. These can be possessions, people or something less tangible. Maybe write them down. Later on, around evening or bedtime, you could add to these with three things that have happened today that you’re also grateful for.