Prana is life force. It is what makes you animated or alive. In simple terms it can be understood as the breath. Whereby, everything that lives breathes. Every plant and animal, every cell and tissue will go through an exchange process of one element (oxygen) for another (carbon dioxide) – otherwise thought of as a movement of energy. When that energy stops moving, you stop living.

Pranayama is the science or practice of breathing. Which may seem like an overly simple idea; however, consider your breathing when you are angry, tired or happy. Listen to the breathing of your children, partner or pets throughout the day. Your state of being is reflected in the breath. When you learn to practice and control the breath you can learn how to reflect and control your state of mind and even physical health. You can use your breath as a meditative practice to tune into your life force.

If there are terms you hear in your yoga practice that you may not fully understand, feel free to discuss terminology and your questions with your Innergy Corporate Yoga teachers.

If you are like me, part magpie, you adore shiny things. Everyone can relate to the idea of this kind of adoration. You walk down the street and longingly gaze into a window display at a pair of shoes, or a car, or an attractive potential suitor. You might feel a little pang in your heart or your gut that says: ‘you must have this thing’ or ‘WOW so pretty! – but I could never have that!’

Take a few moments when you get this ‘pang’ of inspiration – which is what it really is. It is a physiological response of passion and a stimulation of your inner senses. Take a moment to really feel that response. Try not to act immediately in any direction – but rather allow yourself to feel adoration and desire. Tune into your body, tune into your breathing – what are you feeling? Why are you feeling this way? Have you spotted something you need, or will make you feel like a whole person if you possess it? Likely, the answer is no. But, in that moment, you allowed yourself to be inspired. You felt – even for a fleeting moment, a passionate desire.

Allowing yourself to be inspired and know your gut instincts is so very important. It is what will help direct our life’s path. Finding things of beauty around you is a lesson in appreciation and discernment. Next time you walk down the street and your eye catches something shiny, let yourself appreciate that beauty. Perhaps your heart might say – ‘I am content to admire and walk away’ or perhaps it will say ‘time to take action!’

When you are feeling a bit blue, let it out. When you are feeling frustrated, tap into the root cause of that anger and realize it. When you are feeling overwhelmed with joy, express it with laughter, dance and a smile.

By realizing and expressing your emotions you will love your true state of being. Do a little research and self experimentation on respectful ways of letting out your feelings. In other words, find loving and constructive ways to be authentic to yourself. Don’t kick your cat if you’ve had a bad day at work. Understand why you had a bad day, without pointing blame. Take responsibility for your own reactions and learn from each experience so that you can start fresh the next day.

Check out this article on letting out a good cry. It really will allow you to move forwards in your life, with a liberated attitude, when you can honestly process your feelings.

Cry and let it all out

The process of developing your yoga practice entails self learning. Checking in with yourself; emotionally, physically, and spiritually is a learning process involving patience, love and respect. Yoga is a continual process of reflection. As you evolve as a person and give yourself permission to experience your yoga, you will discover metaphors of growth in your life. In other words, if you are feeling tired and stiff in a particular area of your body, reflect on recent events in your life. Has there been added stress? Have you eaten poorly? Or even a change in the weather? Do not look to blame – just be aware of correlations. Continuing to learn about who you are on all levels will give you clarity and a greater sense of purpose in life.

In this time of new beginnings, choose Love for yourself.  Even when you have tonnes of obligations and ideas on who you are and should be; remember to take some time to smell the roses and remember your favourite things.  Your duties in time will be accomplished – but, taking a few moments each day to slow down to tune into the present moment is vital to your mental health.

My Favorite Things

Having a regular yoga asana practice is very important. You will see results the more often you practice.  You will feel strong & healthy and train your mind to be more positive and sharp. But, more than just an asana practice – yoga entails a discipline of self awareness. Tap into those things that make you happy as your daily yoga practice and you will feel happier and more satisfied with life.

Cold and flu season is here again. If you’ve been hit by a virus – take it easy in your yoga practice. You may find it beneficial to spend time practicing slowly and methodically – or simply change your practice all together and focus on meditation or pranayama.

If you enjoy essential oils – try incorporating them into this practice!! Do some investigation to determine which oils are best suited to you and your needs. But, if you are suffering from congestion, try eucalyptus or rosemary oils in a diffuser next to you as you practice.  Create your own blends by adding lavender, ginger, cedar wood or peppermint to help lift your mood too. If you are so inclined, you can even put these oils in a carrier like grapeseed or sesame seed oil for a little self massage before reclining into your Shavasana.  Give yourself an entire practice that revolves around self care.

Remember yoga is a disciplined practice. But it requires a healthy and strong body and mind. If the body is suffering – the mind will suffer. So love your body and give it the time and remedies it needs to heal. Forcing an athletic asana practice does not constitute self love or respect. So pamper yourself if you need to, with a little tenderness and some nice essential oils and massage.

I love coffee. I’d like to say it’s not a habit, but… Coffee is a part of my daily ritual – I turn on a pot before I shower and take my yoga practice – then it’s ready like a treat when I’m finished. I have two cups of java every morning. Cream, no sugar. It perks me up, makes me bouncy and works its magic on my digestion. Conversely, sometimes I over bounce, get shaky & scatter brained and often have dragon breath. Sound familiar?

The literature is many sided on coffee. Safe and healthy in moderation, versus bad, dehydrating, leaching nutrients and making you crash HARD by the afternoon. So what to do?? While the winter looms over – I shall resole this very moment to go an entire month without coffee. Will it clear my brain? What will satiate the cravings? Will I feel stronger, more flexible and less irritable? Will I be more focused in my daily life?

I will let you know my findings. But I encourage you to share your stories with us. What have you found eases your morning ritual and perks you up? What will your New Years Resolution be? Place your comments on our Facebook Page and let the Innergy Corporate Yoga community support you!

There are a lot of clichés on age and aging. Wrinkle creams are being targeted to 20 year olds.  Botox, hair dyes, ointments and all methods of surgery are being used to augment bodies and minds into believing that we are younger (and perceivably better?) than we are. Inspired by the stories of some beautiful yoga teachers; 91 year old Bernice Bates 83 year old Bette Bakasana & 92 year old Porchon Lynch – I took a moment to think about age and getting older as a yogi.

If you have ever had a personal conversation with your yoga teacher – you may be shocked to find out she/he is 10 years younger than you assumed. How can this be possible you might laugh with some envy?  But does it really matter? Being a yoga instructor is a blessing. It means being a yoga student for life.

Beyond aesthetic and age are the lifestyle, laughter and joie de vivre that keep us all vital – not younger and defiantly no less beautiful. Age is inevitable – embrace it! As we love ourselves, encourage ourselves to be open and receptive, and learn everyday, we cultivate beauty.  Sometimes we practice yoga in the hopes to reverse age. But we can not change time. It is what we do every day that counts. It is the attitude we choose everyday that keeps us vital as we all age. You will never truly be “old” if you open your heart, stay curious and practice yoga.

But, you need to do this and have to do that and should and will and could and and and…

We put so much stress on our minds and bodies that it is a wonder so many of us suffer from chronic pains and illnesses.  When was the last time you choose to slow down? A moment when you became aware that you were moving too fast and doing too much and damaging yourself and others in the process? If you feel you do not have time for a meditation or asana practice every day, choose instead a moment. Set an alarm on your phone or computer to put you in the moment. Choose a pleasant chime of course –so that at some point in the day, you will have a moment for yourself to connect to your breath, adjust your posture, put a smile on your face and have a laugh if you can.

Take care of yourself over the next few months, to ensure you get enough exercise and ‘outdoor’ time. Even when it is cold and blustery out, getting into a regular habit of breathing fresh air can wake you up and brighten your mood. Smoking may not be a wise decision for your health – but, the habit of moving away from your desk regularly, to go outside for a break, is a great habit. So – I propose a challenge: to go outside for a Breath of Joy whenever you can. Ask your Yoga instructor to show you how it’s done. Or look at some of these great resources.

http://www.yogaflavoredlife.com/wellness/try-breath-joy-energize-uplift-and-cleanse.html

http://yogayak.com/all-videos/breath-of-joy-pranayama/