Yoga for daily life: Let’s go outside! 

Sometimes it’s all about changing the perspective. Shake things up and shake out the body to release stagnant energy, and Mother Nature offers us many gifts which can deepen our concentration and help guide the body within our yoga practice. So why not take your yoga practice outside? Ok, you might not be in Ibiza right now – but the sun can be shining in your heart!

Featured yoga pose: We love the good old Warrior 3! It strengthens the whole body, especially the legs, around the hips and most importantly, the core. It focuses the mind as you need the concentration to keep the energy flowing from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes. And today, we are going to try Warrior 3 against a tree.

  1. Begin in mountain pose, rooting down through your left leg
  2. Inhale and draw your right knee up towards your chest, hands on hips
  3. As you begin your exhale, lean forward, hands on the tree and extending your right leg back, hips square, energy between your hip bones
  4. Activate you whole body from toe to body perpendicular to the floor, keeping the core strong. Keep breathing here – take five to ten deep breaths up and down your spine, finding the space inside you
  5. Then inhale and bring your right leg back to standing – keep the leg up! And exhale back

Ask someone to stand behind you whilst you do this to ensure your hips are square. It may help to try to strengthen from the inner thigh rather than the outer thigh. They can even offer you their own thigh to press against – so you are using the tree and the other person to really activate the very core of you. Now you should feel the power of the warrior…

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Yoga for daily life: Purifying Breath Techniques

The essence of yoga is really all about purification. Keeping the body pure and healthy through the physical asanas, detoxifying the mind of negative thoughts and emotions and creating space in the breath for this ‘prana’ or life force energy to flow.

Featured breathing technique

Nadi Shodhan. We introduce this gently purifying ‘pranayama’ (breath) technique to help clear out blocked energy channels in the body, which in turn calms the mind. ‘Nadi’ means subtle energy channel and ‘Shodhan’ represents cleaning and purification. This can be done anytime of the day, not just on the yoga mat – we suggest two to three times daily to really experience the benefits.

  1. Sit comfortably with your spine long and shoulders relaxed
  2. Place the tip of the index finger and middle finger of the right hand between the eyebrows, the ring finger and little finger on the left nostril, thumb on the right
  3. Press your thumb down on the right nostril and breathe out gently through the left
  4. Now breathe in from the left nostril, close the left nostril gently and breathe out from the right
  5. Breathe in from the right nostril and exhale from the left. This is one round – try nine
Other benefits of purifying breath techniques?

Our minds have a tendency to regret or glorify the past or get anxious about the future. This helps us to stay present. It helps harmonise the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which correlate to the logical and emotional sides of our personalities. This breath technique prepares the body and mind for meditation, so try a short meditation afterwards.

Yoga for daily life: Postures to open your heart

Tightness around the chest and shoulders is often put down to the stress and tension of daily life, but it can also be the body’s natural defence against our hearts getting hurt. Heart-opening postures can help to gently open your heart through yoga – to new loves, life experiences and feelings of happiness and wellbeing.

Featured posture

Setu-Bhandu (bridge pose). As well as being a beautiful heart-opening posture, this also strengthens the spine, improves spinal flexibility and stimulates the thyroid gland. For the ultimate in restorative healing, use a block underneath your lower spine (just where the top of your buttocks start) to work with the adrenals and deeply relax the body.

  1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet parallel
  2. Lift hips up
  3. Interlace fingers behind your back, drawing your shoulder blades together
  4. Lift the hips higher
  5. Draw the chest toward the chin
  6. Release the hands and peel the spine back to the mat
  7. Rest, allowing the knees to come together

After practicing heart-opening postures like this, you will feel lighter, brighter and more receptive to the beautiful things around you – especially to love!

Why not try Anusara yoga, which is a yoga philosophy completely dedicated to opening the heart? Make sure you focus on your breath when undertaking any posture or practice, for the breath will tell you all you need to know… when you learn to listen.

Retreat of the week – Teacher Training with Nora Belton

Retreat: 200hr Yoga Alliance Teacher Training course

Dates: 1st – end April – 1 month training

About: With an emphasis on safety, we work to develop and refine technique, alignment and professional qualities.  This course offers plenty of personal attention, support and encouragement to build confidence and help each student experience the strength, discernment and joy that come through Yoga.  Move forward with your practice at your own level of proficiency whether you decide to become a teacher or not. Being a Yoga teacher means working creatively together with students to support their evolution at all levels. It can help us to focus our lives with love and compassion.

Cost: €1800 all inclusive of..

●   Two Asana classes per day
●   Daily Chanting and Meditation
●   Delicious Vegetarian Meals
●   Anatomy and Physiology, Teaching Pregnancy and Kid’s Yoga
●   Ample Teaching Practice
●   Introduction to Yoga Philosophy

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Retreat of the Week Just Stop! Yoga Lifestyle Detox with Coaching to Empower your way!

Just Stop! Yoga and Life Coaching Retreats this Spring Time

Just Stop! Yoga & Life Coaching for a wonderful Lifestyle Detox this springtime!

Dates: March 27th – 31st

Join Larah Davis, Rebekah Fensome and the team of world-class teachers & therapists from Ibiza Retreats that make up the Just Stop! team to tailor-make your retreat to bring you life-enhancing benefits for body, soul and mind.  Refuel with plenty of tools & techniques.  Empower your spring into summer-time. Find fresh focus and feel fabulous in body and mind as we support you to reconnect with your life path, your life purpose and plenty of inspiration from beach trips and cliff-top walks on our beautiful white island.

In the heart & soul-warming Can Morrel, with sabina wood beams, beautiful fig trees and hectares of countryside around, just 10 minutes from the turquoise waters of Benirras beach.  Soak up plenty of Ibiza’s magical natural energy!

– A professional and experienced team of teachers & therapists

– Study of yoga to develop your own practice

– Life Coaching & Wellness Coaching to support you with practical strategies to maintain your balance when back in reality

 

Cost from €860 (sharing) including

  • Room and delicious full-board fresh, seasonal organic cuisine
  • 5 yoga sessions (for all levels) with pranayama breathwork and meditation
  • Life Coaching 1:1 session, Wellness & Energy Coaching 1:1 session
  • Full body stress release massage or cranio-sacral therapy
  • Mind Body Spirit Concierge service with Ibiza Retreats

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