YoGa with Gaatha

Autumn equinox

We hit this annual milestone tonight
Equinox and solistices have started making more sense to me now more than ever!! Honestly they make more sense to me now than when they used to be in my curriculum for school! Is it the growing wisdom 😇😇
Is it the budding spirituality 😇😇
Whatever it maybe, I’m grateful truly for being
All the more in alignment with this age old wisdom of belonging to nature , where we all come from and go to! It’s also made me
More aware of my own natural growth and expansion .
Fall is the harvest time
Of the year , so the equinox also symbolizes the time we reap into the benefits of what we set forth on , what we set out intentions on at the beginning of the year

So , today i take a moment to be grateful for my harvest , my growth , my expansion as a human …
being grateful for achieved milestones, learning and unlearning , steps taken towards the universal light!!!

Equinox the word meaning is equal.
So it’s also a moment for me to acknowledge the balance of light and dark in my life , the balance of right and wrong , balance of good and bad
Because that makes me whole!

Happy Fall y’all!!

“We carry inside us the wonders we seek outside us .”-Rumi

Summer solistice - When the sun is at its highest point and results in the longest day in the northern hemisphere.

For ages humans have been honoring the sun and the moon and the equinoxes and solistices , monuments etc are all an outcome of that practice

During the spring we plant the seeds (or set intentions or new beginnings) , and in summer we pause and give space for these seeds to grow or intentions to materialize — a kind of nourishment.

Summer is when we have the bright light of the sun. We use this light to nurture ourselves and others , just the way sun does .
And of course just like the sun we rise each day , new and strong.

So with the start of summer , It’s the time to reinforce our trust in ourselves, boost our confidence and to go inward to honor the light within!

Here’s wishing all of you on Yoga day & also a nourishing summer ahead !!!

Namaste!!

https://www.glamour.com/story/pandemic-brain-is-real-and-it-explains-why-you-cant-focus

exercise & meditation :)

read at leisure

Yeah, You Probably Have ‘Pandemic Brain’ The pandemic has entered long-term territory, and the mental toll is real, according to psychologists.

Living with an open heart- viewing every event/ transaction of life from a position of love.This indirectly also means that our vulnerability to heartache is also increased; but is it not worth it when you only know the language of love and giving!! After all , what you give out comes back to you in full.❤️
Asana
Cobra pose or Bhujangasana , is a popular heart opening pose and my personal favorite.

Benefits
Excellent stretch for upper chest and neck
Sends blood flow to thyroid gland

Directions
Lying on your stomach, bring hands close to your chest
Palms on mat
Elbows pointing back of the room
Paying attention to your breath slowly lift your upper body
Extend hands but not necessarily fully straight it can be bent at elbows
Upper chest is lifted up from mat and neck is arched in an effort to look at the ceiling
You will feel a gentle tug on upper chest and back
Breathe in and out
Gently come Back to lying on stomach position and relax

We meet on the mat tomorrow 0830am!

As we gear up to turn the calendar, start of a new year and a new decade ,remember to make a gratitude list of what you are most thankful for this year !! It can just be one or many but we all have one for sure !
Forgive yourself and open your arms to welcome yourself into a warm hug ; because no one is as good as YOU in being YOU 🥰

Lokah samastha sughino bavanthu!

Thought of penning some thoughts, as I wallow in self pity for having missed the Great Conjunction event......

BTW thank you to all who joined the Saturday Yoga past few weeks; its been great getting y'all on the mat!!

As we pass the Winter solstice aka the shortest day of the year, try to align yourself with nature to whatever extent we can. The solstice marks the start of winter, the coldest days of the year and animals and plants take the cue to hibernate or retreat - to put it in another way- they go inwards.
So use winter as a time to go within, slow down, find warmth and experience what we crave the most, soothe your body and mind , make time for your hobbies, reach out to loved ones, write a gratitude journal.... find ways to nurture yourself.
You will notice that like any other living being in this planet, by doing this and aligning ourselves with the seasons, we will emerge energized and ready to transform into what we want; like the new growths & blossoms of Spring.

Found the manifestation and action list part interesting

https://www.byrdie.com/how-to-manifest-5089446

How to Manifest, According to a Neuroscientist Our writer researches and explains how to successfully manifest your desires and dreams with advice from a neuroscientist, as well as findings from scientific studies. Read all about it here.

Been a while , I know I’ve been hibernating like most of y’all. Been on my yoga mat though and hoping it’s been the same for you too. If not pm me and we can get that started on zoom !

Easy to try!

Yoga for Your Eyes: Simple Asanas to Improve Your Vision These basic “poses” can improve your vision (and help you concentrate and relax). Plus, learn how to train your third eye.

ASANA

Viparita Karani- legs up the wall pose
Viparita - reverse/inverted
Karani - in action

Beneficial for many day to day ailments; however to be avoided if suffering from BP,hernia or eye problems like glaucoma.Considered a restorative pose and sequenced at the end of the practice usually.
When you raise your legs up the wall with support in your lower back with blankets, it gives a gentle boost to the lower body circulation, thereby refreshing and calming the body.
This asana is a classic example of gaining more by doing less - to put it differently how little we need to actually feel happy!!!!

** review instructions in detail before attempting this

Happy international Calm day!!

Why is this even worthy of mention? How many of us really know how to calm ourselves ? Do you differentiate calmness from happiness?

Personally I became my best friend after I gained the superpower to calm myself ! So then knowing that today is international calm day definitely did excite me. I think this single most skill to be able to calm one’s racing mind and heart is possibly what will help you travel to that space that you long to live in.

May you be calm !!! May you be happy !!

"I stand tall and strong , like a mountain".How relevant for the current times!

ASANA

Taadasana/Samasthithi
One of the foundational poses and most ignored one possibly since its too common, yes it looks no big deal! Thats the very reason I've decided to write about this pose in detail.this is what is needed from all of us in tough times- be the mountain you are !

Benefits
>Improves posture and body awareness
>Strengthens legs

Directions
>Stand on a flat surface
>Feet close to each other, toes touching, knees touching too if possible
>Rotate both thighs inward
>Engage your thigh muscles, pulling them up, thereby slightly lifting your kneecaps
>Maintain natural spine curse
>Slightly draw your abs in
>Shoulder blades close to each other
>Arms resting by your side
>Crown of your head rising up as though being pulled by a string from ceiling
>If leaning against a wall; make sure your heels, sacrum, shoulder blades touch the wall

Being in Taadasana brings a lot of awareness across your body. This pose is a precursor to many other challenging poses in Yoga. Its in our best interest to try and master this one to reap the benefits of many more to come!

Keep your breathe work going ....

Pranayama Series - 2

Ujjayi Pranayama - aka the victorious breathe or oceanic breathe

1. sit in a position with spine straight
2. inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth open making a AA-H sound
3. repeat this few times.
4. Now repeat this with your mouth closed and notice that to get the same kind of exhalation, you have to constrict the throat. This will cause a sound similar to the ocean or hissing.
This is Ujjayi breathe and is key to all Hatha yoga practice.
Personally to me this breathe used during my asana practice helps me stay focussed, stay longer and maintain my rhythm in a pose.
This is I think is the only pranayama that can be done alongside the asanas/poses.

This breathe is popular to ease tension, build body heat, ease all nervousness related issues, increase lung capacity, helps with insomnia , amongst many other benefits.

"If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration."
~Nikola Tesla~

ASANA
In times of inner and outer turmoil like this is when I love to cocoon into my Yoga practice. Its become my refuge that creates the much needed space and grounding.

Child's pose or Baalasana is one of my favorite that gives me the positive feelings as my own body layers up creating a sanctuary for self.

Why Pranayama is key to a successful practice.

Pranayama series 1

Naadi Shodana (alternate nostril breathing)

According to many texts, this pranayama should be practiced religiously over a period of time before practicing other pranayamas.

1.Sit in a comfortable posture - Sukhasana ; eyes closed, hands relaxed with palms resting on knees.
2.Always have your spine straight when doing pranayama.
3.Use the right thumb to close the right nostril. Inhale gently and slowly though the open left nostril. Inhale as long as you are comfortable.
4.Close the left nostril with the ring and little fingers and gently and slowly through the right nostril; taking longer to exhale.Exhalation will be double of inhalation.
5. Repeat now with inhalation through right and exhalation through left.
This completes 1 cycle.
Repeat for atleast 5-7 repetitions or 5 mins.

It is said that if practiced with regularity and dedication , this can purify all the 72,000 nadis in the subtle body.

tiny pleasures of life..hunting for water droplets on leaves!!!

Attempting to share some tidbits on breathing, in the coming few days.

Pranayama -
"Prana" means vital energy ; "ayama" means extension or expansion. So literally, Pranayama means the expansion of vital energy.

By correct breathing, we can manipulate our energies, release tensions and develop a relaxed state of mind.

All through the trying times of my life, yoga has been the vehicle for me to return to a sense of normalcy. Yoga to me started as a self improvement to-do and subsequently helped pave the path for self acceptance.And in the past year I have been taking baby steps in teaching yoga to near and dear.

All my efforts thus far have been incognito as far as the social media is concerned. This page is an attempt to gather all of it and try baking it into fancy cookies of your choice!

“Yoga is a journey....of the self, through the self and to the self...”
Join me as I embark on a journey seeking strength, beauty of mind, body and soul!!
Self love with _YoGa

This Saturday 3/7
3131 Custer Rd ste # 265, Plano, TX 75075

Did you know that our humble Uttanasana-standing forward fold is very beneficial for sedentary workers?

Regular practice helps relieve stiffness of back, neck and spine. Provides stretch to hips, hamstrings and calves.

Whenever you doubt your self worth , think of the lotus flower- growing in muddiest or dirtiest water , but all so delicate and beautiful...

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