HUM Yoga and Meditation

Have you ever wondered how natural incense is made? I visited the workshop of Nado Poizokhang in Thimphu, Bhutan. It’s a family run business dedicated to providing the highest quality incense. Their products are famous for the purity of ingredients used and the careful preparation process.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​And I watched them making Happiness Incense, a beautiful and subtle incense that is hand crafted from a 1000 year old formula and in accordance with ancient Buddhist scriptures which dictate the materials used and the production process. They use only natural ingredients, many are found in the Himalayan mountains of Bhutan where they grow at elevations of 4000 metres or higher and are gathered by yak herders.

The plants are dried, ground, mixed together with honey into a clay-like paste which is extruded into long coils, then hand-rolled, cut, measured, cured and dried.

All these steps are necessary to create the beautiful, all-natural, hand-made Happiness Incense, perfect for use in your personal spiritual rituals, for meditation and yoga, and for creating a relaxing atmosphere.

100% natural, with no added chemicals, no artificial colours or scents.

Find it on our website www.hum.life and through the links in the bio.

We never know where our journey will take us, what marvels and obstacles we will encounter on the way. So we must make the most of every day we have - and be present for each experience, each sensation, each moment. Everything we experience...all the beauties, the fears, the love, the pain, the joy, the challenges...it all offers us an invitation for growth and learning. It's all there to enrich our soul.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​John O'Donohue is an Irish philosopher, poet, writer. If you don't know his work, look for Divine Beauty, Walking in Wonder, The Four Elements and many other thoughtful works on themes that can inspire our journey through life.

One lovely and easy way to take a mini soul break, a small kindness to yourself, is to connect with your inner wisdom - it’s always there to guide you. And one way to make that connection is to burn a stick of incense. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​There is something magical and evocative in the fragrant fumes of burning incense. So I invite you to light a stick of all-natural incense and watch the beautiful filament of bluish smoke, envision it rising up and reconnecting you with your higher self. Like a calling to your inner wisdom, an offering to yourself and to your highest potential.

Try the beautiful Happiness Incense from Bhutan. It’s 100% natural, hand made with plants found in the high Himalayas. collected by yak herders as they move their herds in search of summer and winter pastures. The plants are transformed into a subtle incense is hand crafted from a 1000 year old recipe and in accordance with ancient Buddhist scriptures, which dictate the materials used and the production process.

Find it on our website, www.hum.life and through the links in the bio.

It's incredibly refreshing to truly disconnect. In our busy lives, filled with jobs, families, commitments, connections, all threaded together by our multiple digital screens, we are always “on”, constantly buzzing. But there is a real power to switching completely “off”, of having no distractions at all, even if it’s just for a few days. ​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​A retreat can provide the right context for you to do this. It is an opportunity to find immensely restful silence and peace, to deepen your yoga and meditation practice, to connect with yourself. It’s a way to focus on your present moment.

The noble silence and the safe, peaceful environment of a silent meditation retreat is a way to find the peace and the space to nourish your body and soul. It can be extremely healing. Maybe even life-changing.

And if you can’t get away, with some inspiration and a little preparation, you can create your own solo retreat at home. Creating your own retreat at home is perfect if you have a few days of vacation but you don't feel like travelling.

For more ideas to inspire your own personal soul break, whether for a few days or even a few hours, find 12 Helpful and Healing Ideas at the HUM LIFE blog (link in bio). I hope that these ideas will spark your own imagination so that you can find what works best you. Do only what feels good for you!

What was the last kind thing you did for yourself?​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​One of the best ways we can take care of ourselves is through gestures of SELF-KINDNESS. We may remember to eat well, to exercise, get good sleep. But how often are we actually kind to ourselves? To authentically spread kindness and joy to others, we have to start by being kind, patient and loving to ourselves. And it's something we sometimes struggle with.

After years of living a stress-filled life and listening to my very loud inner-critic, I've found that self-kindness is a wonderful way to manage stress, to change your perspective, to find so much more joy, satisfaction and serenity every single day.

And it doesn’t have to be complicated! You can create small self-kindness moments, practices and rituals. It just takes thought and a perhaps creating a little extra time for yourself in your day. Then use your mindfulness practice to stay with your experience, so that you can turn it into precious moments of soul-care.

Always offer yourself the same love, care, respect, understanding and compassion that you would offer your best friend.

Turning towards the heart... A lovely way to take a little soul break each day is to practice heart-chakra yoga. Your heart chakra is located right at your heart centre and is called “Anahata”. It is the centre of unconditional love (loving and being loved), of empathy, compassion and joy. And it is the seat of your own inner wisdom and truth. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​When your heart chakra is balanced, you will feel open, loved, deeply connected, able to offer love and compassion to others..and you will feel sincerely grateful for the love, the beauty and the abundance in your life. This is truly transformational and powerful.

Here's a lovely way to connect with your heart chakra: within your practice, try a gentle movement from extended Child’s Pose (Balasana) to Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana), flow in slow and mindful movement, repeating the movement several times.

Other poses to help you connect with your heart chakra:

✨Heart-Melting Pose
✨Crescent Moon Lunge
✨Vulnerable Warrior Flow
✨Triangle Pose
✨Reclining Goddess Pose

Sometimes, you just need a break to rest, recover, heal. I call it a soul break, when you just have to do what you need to do for yourself. This is unconditional self-love and self-compassion.​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​And soul-care will be different for each of us. Knowing yourself…your body, mind and soul…will help you to figure out what form of soul-care will feel right for you.

So the first thing to do for yourself…slow down and take stock.

Pay attention to what your body, mind and soul need for optimum vitality, to feel your most joyful. Mindfulness practices can help you be aware of your physical sensations, thoughts and emotions.

Find what works best for you then commit to the practices and rituals of taking care of your whole self.

The sanctuary within is available to each of us, it's the place we can all retreat to, at any time, to find solace, healing, comfort, and peace. Or just to rest. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Find this sanctuary in a daily meditation, a walk in nature, the simple gesture of lighting a stick of incense, or just contemplating the beautiful world around you.

Hello!!! It's been a while. And I don't often post images of myself. And yet here I am. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​And here I was exactly one year ago today... in Bhutan at the very wonderful Gangtey Lodge on my epic Himalayan adventure. It was a day filled with an abundance of beautiful surprises and auspicious blessings from master monks and mystical gurus. Such beautiful experiences and memories to cherish, that I've carried with me all year long.

Since the beginning of this year, I've been away from social media, away from HUM, on a much needed soul break. I've written about the importance of a soul break...and offer ideas on what you can do to take care of yourself in times of need. And all the time in fact. Head over to the HUM LIFE blog at www.hum.life. Or through the link in the bio.

And now I'm HUMming again...so just wanted to say hello...after all these months.

Welcome back to HUM!

DISCOVER TWO EASY WAYS TO USE YOUR SINGING BOWL​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A high quality hand-made Himalayan singing bowl will create beautiful, long-lasting vibrations and a deep musical tone that can help to bring balance to your body and mind, influence the flow of energy within your chakras, induce a state of deep relaxation and a clear mind ideal for meditation, and even stimulate creative thinking and intuitive messages.

Here are TWO EASY WAYS TO USE YOUR SINGING BOWLl and to MAKE IT A MEDITATION:

1. Place your singing bowl on your chest or abdomen and tap the bowl with the ringing stick to create a beautiful, vibrant sound. Feel the vibrations flowing through your entire body, even your bones, sort of like a “sound massage”, helping you to relax, creating harmony in body, mind and soul.

2. Hold it on the palm of your hand and, with an even pressure and a full-arm movement, rub the ringing stick clockwise around the outside edge of the rim of the bowl. It is the pressure you apply and the speed of the movement you make that creates the vibrations of the metal and allows the bowl to sing. Or simply tap the side of the bowl with the ringing stick. Listen with your ears, your hand, your entire body. The sound and the vibration can serve as a focal point for meditation.

Enjoy the mini sound experience!

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR SINGING BOWL?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​There are many different kinds of singing bowls available in various sizes and even different shapes. Most are machine-made, but THE BEST QUALITY IS HAND-MADE. You can tell the difference from the look and feel, and especially from the sound and vibrations.

The highest quality Himalayan singing bowls are made using a traditional process. And each one is completely unique.

Seven different metals are fused together, poured into a flat sheet. When this is cool, it is hammered into the shape of a bowl, a technique that requires expert hands to do it without cracking the metal. When you see a hand-hammered bowl you can see small dents which are the marks of the hammering process. The seven different metals are chosen and combined for the best quality sound.

This unique metal combination and the hand-hammered quality produces a deep, harmonic sound and rich vibrations that can go on and on for many minutes. Each bowl sings a different song, creates a different note, depending on the thickness of the walls of the bowl.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE BEST QUALITY HIMALAYAN SINGING BOWL, discover our new collection hand-made Himalayan singing bowls. Available in 3 sizes and various notes to balance your chakras. At www.hum.life or via the link in the bio.

You know those days when you feel frazzled and stressed? When your regular routine is thrown into the wind? When you feel the need for a few moments of peace and calm but don’t have the time or inclination to do a yoga practice or a short meditation or even a walk in the park?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​On those days, you need to find simple, short practices to get grounded and better focused on the present moment.

Ringing a Himalayan singing bowl is a very easy way to find peace and calm, to feel more balanced in just a few minutes.

The beautiful sound and the feeling of the vibrations will capture your attention and help anchor you to the present moment. Experiencing the sounds and vibration of a singing bowl becomes a mini meditation, with very little effort. Listen with your ears, your hands, your entire body. The sound and the vibration can serve as a focal point for a mini meditation. And in just a few minutes you'll feel more grounded and calm. Ready for whatever comes next.

On my recent travels to the Himalayas, I personally chose a collection of beautiful quality Himalayan singing bowls, hand-made in Nepal. Available in 3 sizes and various notes to balance your chakras. See the new collection at www.hum.life or via the link in the bio.

We almost never have a SALE…and it’s on NOW! Enjoy 15% off the Shanti Collection, soul-indulging, elegant and earth-conscious yoga and meditation clothes for your home practice ... and anywhere. ​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​Designed by women yogis to fit a women’s mind, body and spirit…and because you deserve the extra special care!

So much love and care has gone into the creation of this collection. The luxury is in the details…from the streamlined designs to the high quality and eco-responsibility of the fabrics to the high-end finishes…every detail has been mindfully considered to offer you the most comfortable, elegant and flattering clothes for your home yoga and meditation practice.

Created in collaboration with as an invocation of inner peace, peace in mind, body and spirit.

Shanti Hum : I am Peace

Save 15%, only until Monday, November 27th. On our website, www.hum.life and through the links in the bio.

So true! Wishing you the awareness and open heart to see the joy and the beauty in your life.​​​​​​​​​.​​​​​​​​​.

One of the most beautiful and practical gifts you can offer the yogis in your life (and yourself!!) is The Lotus Cardigan, from our Shanti Collection of yoga apparel, all now ON SALE in our once-a-year sale.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Here are 8 reasons why you'll LOVE The Lotus Cardigan:

1. The comfortably loose yet tailored look
2. The gently rounded hems, slightly longer in the back
3. The luxurious, natural fabrics, 4 variations to choose from
4. The Tibetan-styled look: it can be crossed over and tied at heart-centre
5. The cozy, high, fold-over neck
6. The flattering raglan shoulders
7. The sweetly curved side seam detail
8. It's made with love in Canada

Find your Lotus Cardigan at www.hum.life and through the links in the bio.

Why be ordinary when you can create something unique and beautiful?!? ​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​Did you know all the fabrics we use to create our HUM meditation cushions and yoga bolsters are our own custom design?

I wanted to create something beautiful, of the highest quality, and that would support you in your practice. So we created these beautiful mandala and mantra patterns that will resonate along with you while you practice. Every detail of our creations is intention, even the colours.

And in line with our Ethos, these beautiful fabrics are 100% ORGANIC COTTON. The fabric is made in India, printed in the US. Each yoga bolster and meditation cushion is made with love in Canada.

We’re here to support your meditation practice!!! And this week get 15% off our entire collection during our ONCE A YEAR site-wide sale.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​HUM Meditation Cushions have been intentionally designed to offer you blissful comfort for your practice and to add a touch of luxury and elegance to your home sanctuary.

Hand-crafted in Canada with our custom designed, 100% organic cotton fabric, in 14 different options. Filled with 100% organic Canadian-grown buckwheat hulls. Made with love in Canada.

Find yours through the link in the bio: SHOP MEDITATION CUSHIONS and at www.hum.life

15% off, only until November 27th with the code JOYFUL2023