3 Autumn Essential Oils

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autumn yoga, black pepper essential oil, cinnamon essential oil, essential oils, healing yoga, mind-body, orange essential oil, warming yoga, Yoga With Paul

Autumn is a great time to take extra care of your body. Essential oils add a natural, healing element to your self-care routine. I like to add a few drops to the bath, or mix them with almond or vitamin E oil to make a wonderful fragrant massage oil.

Warm baths, massages or diffusing essential oils in your home will help relieve stress and calm the mind and body. This in turn boosts your immune system and gives you more resources to deal with everyday challenges.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Here are three autumn essential oils to try.

Orange

Eating oranges is good for you and so is using orange essential oil. It has antibacterial and immune-boosting properties, helps regulate the digestion, and helps lift the mood on dark days.

Cinnamon

This essential oil is a good choice for post-yoga relaxation. It can help increase blood flow to speed recovery and reduce inflammation. It also helps balance blood sugar, fight infections and stimulates your immune system.

Black Pepper

For a really warm, spicy oil try black pepper. Its benefits include stimulating the digestion and appetite, fighting viruses, detoxifying the body, and helping to calm anxiety and cravings.

 

Functional Yoga: Pull-ups

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daily yoga, functional fitness, functional yoga, pull-up tips, strengthening yoga, yoga practice, Yoga With Paul

My last post gave tips for getting started on pull-ups — a great functional exercise that supplements your yoga practice. Using functional exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups rapidly strengthens major muscle groups, giving a boost to your practice.

Photo by bady qb on Unsplash

Once you’ve built up your strength with straight-arm hangs and can comfortably lift your weight with your shoulder blades you’re ready to move on to a new challenge: negative pull-ups. This means you start with your chin over the bar and lower your body weight, working all the essential pull-up muscles in reverse.

The key benefiting from negative pull-ups is control. If you drop like a stone you’re not building any muscle and you might even injure yourself. Start very slowly. It will be easiest to control your descent at the top, with your arms bent. It gets harder as your arms extend so if you get to a point where you can’t control the speed of your descent, simply let go. That’s where you are right now.

Continue practicing negative pull-ups, one at a time, or half a one at a time, until you build up to doing full, controlled descents.

Once you can comfortably do several negative pull-ups it’s time to try the real thing. To begin, stand on something so you can begin with a half-pull up. Once you master that, gradually challenge yourself by starting with your arms more extended.

Whatever you do, don’t rush, and don’t give up. How long it takes to achieve a pull-up will depend on your weight and level of strength when you begin. Just view it as part of your practice and do a little every day.

Questions about functional strength moves? Ask in the comments!

Ayurvedic Cooling Foods

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Whether you’re loving or loathing the relentless Southern Hemisphere-style heat this summer, your body definitely needs a little extra care and attention. Daily life requires more effort on hot days, from the cellular level on up.

Ayurveda, the ancient Indian wellness system, teaches that we need to balance our intake of hot and cold to maintain health and harmony.

When the weather is hotter, we should eat more cooling foods. Here’s what you should be tucking into, according to Indian website NDTV.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Summer fruits

Watermelon, kiwi, strawberries and apricots all help cool the body. They are also great sources of hydration, electrolytes and vitamins, so stock up at your local farmers’ market.

Vegetables

Another great source of water and nutrients are vegetables. Ayurveda recommends mushrooms, tomato, asparagus, lettuce and aubergine as excellent cooling options.

Soy

Not just cooling, but an excellent source of protein. All soy products are supposed to be beneficial, including tofu and milk.

What are your favourite cooling summer foods? Share in the comments!

 

Take a Yoga Mini-Break

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#yogaeverydamnday, daily yoga, stress relief, yoga advice, yoga asanas, yoga breaks, yoga practice, yoga tips, Yoga With Paul

Yoga “mini-breaks” are a great way to build your practice when you’re pressed for time.

A lot of students I know struggle to fit regular classes around their busy lives, and then feel bad or get discouraged because they feel like they are falling behind or “failing”.

Hitting the studio for an hour-long Vinyasa class or a 90 minute hot yoga workout is fantastic. It strengthen, stretch and revitalise your mind and body.

But it is not the only way to enjoy the benefits of yoga.

Yoga can happen anywhere and everywhere. And in any span of time.

Time for a yoga mini-break!

A yoga “mini-break” can be 5, 10, or 15 minutes long. Instead of having to block out an hour or two, you can do several short sets of breathing and postures throughout your day, which can easily add up to an hour!

For example, you could begin your morning with five minutes of Pranayama — or do a few minutes to centre yourself before a big meeting.

During the day you can do Tadasana (Mountain Pose) at your desk.

Take a few minutes to do cow and cat, and downward facing dog to relax and invigorate your whole body at any time of day.

If headstand is part of your practice that is a great one to energise and reset your body.

Unwind in the evening with Balasana (Child’s pose) and Savasana. This will release the tension of the day and prepare you for restful sleep.

Just a few minutes with each of these poses throughout the day will provide multiple benefits to your mind and body — without overburdening your schedule.

Yoga “mini-breaks” are a realistic way to do #yogaeverydamnday so give it a try!

 

Spring Refocus: Meditation

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Spring always brings new energy. This makes it the perfect time to take stock of the year so far and refocus our attention on what is important. Meditation is an important practice — yoga itself is only moving meditation — but one that it is easy to let slide.

For a lot of us, yoga is easier to stick with thanks to the energising physical element. Sitting meditation, on the other hand, can seem dull or difficult or unimportant.

However, it has many proven benefits, and the discipline of practicing meditation is in itself a growth experience. So why recommit yourself to meditation practice this spring?

Whether you’re returning to meditation, or a beginner, this guide from Zen Habits has insightful, inspiring tips to help make meditation part of your daily routine.

1. Sit for just two minutes. This will seem ridiculously easy, to just meditate for two minutes. That’s perfect. Start with just two minutes a day for a week. If that goes well, increase by another two minutes and do that for a week. If all goes well, by increasing just a little at a time, you’ll be meditating for 10 minutes a day in the 2nd month, which is amazing! But start small first.

2. Do it first thing each morning. It’s easy to say, “I’ll meditate every day,” but then forget to do it. Instead, set a reminder for every morning when you get up, and put a note that says “meditate” somewhere where you’ll see it.

3. Don’t get caught up in the how — just do. Most people worry about where to sit, how to sit, what cushion to use … this is all nice, but it’s not that important to get started. Start just by sitting on a chair, or on your couch. Or on your bed. If you’re comfortable on the ground, sit cross-legged. It’s just for two minutes at first anyway, so just sit. Later you can worry about optimizing it so you’ll be comfortable for longer, but in the beginning it doesn’t matter much, just sit somewhere quiet and comfortable.

4. Check in with how you’re feeling. As you first settle into your meditation session, simply check to see how you’re feeling. How does your body feel? What is the quality of your mind? Busy? Tired? Anxious? See whatever you’re bringing to this meditation session as completely OK.

Read the rest of the guide here.

How do you maintain a meditation practice? Share your tips in the comments!

3 Tips for Eagle Pose

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Bikram yoga poses, Eagle pose, flexibility, Garudasana, hot yoga poses, how to do Eagle Pose, yoga, yoga asanas, yoga how to, yoga postures, Yoga With Paul

Eagle pose (Garudasana) is one of the fundamental poses of vinyasa flow yoga and Bikram yoga. It has a host of benefits and, once you get familiar with it, can actually be very relaxing, even though it is a challenging balance pose!

Here are three tips to get the most from Eagle Pose.

Ready to fly in Eagle Pose

Focus on… flexibility

It can take a while to achieve the full expression of the arm wrap in Eagle Pose, but you can work towards it step by step. If you cannot immediately cross your arms by sweeping one under the other you can begin by bring crossing your arms high in front of your chest and grabbing the back of your shoulders with your hands. Hold this stretch for several breaths to let your muscles loosen. Do this first with the right elbow on top, then repeat with the left elbow on top to mimic the full expression of the posture.

Focus on… balance

Break down balancing into steps to make it easier. Focus on pressing the back of your top thigh into the top of your standing thigh to create a single firm support. Keep your gaze relaxed and fixed on a point directly in front of you. Sink back into the “chair” and check that your hips stay aligned.  Keeping the weight is grounded in your standing heel will help maintain balance.

Focus on… openness

In Eagle Pose you are trying to physically compress your body into a small space but the end goal is openness. As you work into the posture ensure maintain steady, even breathing in and out through the nose. Feel your shoulder blades and hips opening, your arms and legs stretching. Concentrate on your joints and tendons: visualise them opening and gaining greater range of motion. When you come out of the asana imagine your arms as wings — limber and ready to soar.

Questions about Eagle Pose? Ask in the comments or Tweet @YogaWithPaul

Stretch with Half-Moon Pose

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Ardha Chandrasana, Bikram poses, Bikram yoga, half-moon pose, hot yoga, hot yoga postures, low-back yoga, yoga, yoga spine, Yoga With Paul

Ardha Chandrasana (Half-Moon Pose) is the second posture in the hot yoga warm-up sequence. In other words, it’s one that happens while we’re still getting grounded, focused; while we’re still waking up our bodies and minds. 

It is an incredibly beneficial pose, however. It deserves time and attention, and will reward us when we practice it with full attention and commitment.

 

Among its many benefits, half-moon pose

• • Provides energy and vitality for your practice
  • Helps heal lower-back pain
  • Corrects the posture
  • Exercises the circulatory, glandular, pancreatic, muscular, respiratory, renal, and skeletal systems
  • Improves digestion by toning abdominal organs and spinal nerves
  • Firms and trims abdomen, buttocks, hips, and waistline
  • Reduces stress and anxiety
  • Increases spinal flexibility

In order to get the most out of half-moon pose, we have to wake up and give it the attention it deserves! Here’s how you do it.

• Bring your arms over your head, interlace your fingers and release the index fingers
• Press your arms to your ears and your palms together. Maintain this through the pose.
• Extend your body, stretching towards the ceiling and lengthening your spine.
• Begin by moving left and right 10-15 times, inhaling and exhaling through the nose.
• Stop in the middle, extend your spine, drop your shoulders, then gradually bend to the right, from the hips.
• Keep your thighs engaged and pelvis tucked under.
• Breathe calmly in and out, gradually extending to stretch the whole body from fingertips to toes.
• Return to centre, reset, then bend to the left and repeat the stretch.
• In class, we do this twice on each side. In home practice you can play with the stretch by extending the duration, or repeating it more than twice.

Questions? Comments? Please ask!

 

5 Reasons to Rise Early

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daily yoga, early rising, habit change, life-changing, meditation, nutrition, self-care, yoga, yoga for insomnia, yoga lifestyle, Yoga With Paul

Getting out of a warm bed can be difficult on cold, dark mornings. If you can overcome that initial reluctance, however, you’ll find there are many advantages to getting up early. Why try a new rising routine for a week or two and see how you feel? You might find you have no interest in returning to your sleepy ways.

Rise and shine!

Here are five reasons to rise early.

Yoga

Nothing starts the day off right like practicing yoga. I’ve taught early morning classes for years and it never fails to amaze me how students (and me) can come in bleary eyed and half-dozing and leave 90 minutes later full of energy and enthusiasm. Even if you don’t make it to the studio, 30-45 minutes of self-practice at home will transform your day.

Breakfast

Some people don’t like to eat right after they wake up; some just don’t have time. When you rise early, you give your body time to acclimate to the day, and you have the time to prepare, eat and enjoy a morning meal. This can help keep your blood sugar level during the day and prevent mid-morning cravings or lunch-time binges.

Quiet time

Most of the day is go-go-go. Getting up before everyone else is a chance to have peace and quiet, before beginning your family/work/life routine. You can use this time to meditate, journal, drink a cup of tea, or take the time for self-care. This sets you up for a calm, focused day, instead of feeling rushed and harried.

Sunrise

Sunrise? In London? In November? Are you kidding? I know, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to see most days, but being awake when the dawn breaks gives your mind and body a boost — even if it’s not a rosy pink sky. Simply experiencing the transition from night to day can boost your energy. And on the rare days when the sun lights up the clouds in glorious colour, you’ll be there to see it!

Routine

Getting up early leads to going to bed early, without fail. If you’re someone who has trouble switching off or struggle with insomnia, rising early will help ensure you are tired and ready for sleep. As you adjust to the new routine, the energising benefits of early rising mean you get more done during the day, meaning more time for relaxation in the evening.

 

Toe Stand Tips

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best yoga poses, Bikram postures, how to do toe stand, improve your yoga, strength yoga, toe stand, yoga for feet, yoga postures, yoga tips, Yoga With Paul

Toe-stand (Padangustasana) comes at the end of the standing series in Bikram, when you’ve been working hard for 40 minutes. As a result, it can be tempting to cut corners, or even skip it. However, it has great benefits for balance, strengthens the feet, ankles, legs and core, as well as increasing flexibility. In other words, it’s worth doing!

There is an excellent article in Yoga Journal that gives tips on how to improve your toe stand. By doing complementary exercises, you develop strength, balance and mental and physical agility. Below are two suggested exercises. For the full article go to Yoga Journal.

Squat

Photo via Yoga Journal

From Tadasana (Mountain Pose), place your hands in prayer position (Anjali Mudra) in front of your chest and start bending your knees, pressing your thighs and heels into one another. Lift your heels off the floor, pressing the balls of the feet down as you keep your core engaged. Maintain a long spine, trying not to hunch over or lean forward as you lower. This will help you build core strength and find your balancing point. Hold here, taking 10 deep breaths.

Skater Pose

Photo via Yoga Journal

Start seated with both knees bent in front of your chest and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your right leg out in front of you and reach for your right foot with both hands. Keep your sitting bones grounded and lift your chest. Then, when you’re ready, shift your body weight forward, pressing the foot of your bent left leg into the floor. Press down so much with your left foot that your hips and right leg lift and you find yourself balancing. This pose will increase your ankle strength and flexibility. Look at one point in front of you and take 10 deep breaths before switching sides.

Questions about toe stand? Ask in the comments or Tweet @YogaWithPaul

 

Head to Knee Pose

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Bikram postures, Bikram yoga, Bikram yoga tips, head to knee pose, hot yoga, hot yoga London, hot yoga poses, how to do Bikram, yoga teacher, Yoga With Paul

Head-to-knee pose, aka Janushirasana with Paschimotthanasana, is the next-to-last posture in the Bikram sequence. Which makes it easy to check out during, especially if you’re new to the practice and all you can think about is getting to the final sivasana.

There are only 26 postures in Bikram yoga, however, and each one is important and part of the sequence for a reason. Head to Knee has many specific benefits. It is good for digestion, immune system and thyroid, as well as boosting liver and pancreas function. Remember: it is a compression posture, like separate leg head to knee. It has the added benefit of being seated so you don’t have to worry about balance and can concentrate on perfecting the posture. It also provides a fantastic secondary stretch for your back and legs – especially the Achilles tendon and hamstrings.

Here are five tips for getting the most from head to knee pose:

1. Hold in your stomach: Think compression, compression, compression, of your internal organs. The tighter you pull in your abs the more space you create to round down and touch your forehead to your knee.
2. Bend your knee only if necessary: The goal in the posture is to get your knee locked and thigh contracted so the back of your knee is flush with the floor. If that is not available maintain the correct alignment over your leg, hold in your belly, and bend your knee as much as you need to get a solid forehead to knee connection.
3. Grip!: The grip is critical in this posture – full, 10-finger grip, two inches below your toes. Keeping a firm grip allows you to stretch your arms, back and legs, while holding the strong compression.
4. Keep your bum on the floor: It is easy to rock to one side or another in this posture, but then you lose the alignment. Once you’ve got the grip and forehead to knee, check in with your sit-bones and be sure your weight is even on the floor.
5. Flex your toes: Just as in standing head to knee, your aim is to flex your foot back towards your face, giving a good stretch to your Achilles tendon and hamstring. This can be challenging but it’s easier if you contract your thigh, which allows your hamstring to relax and stretch safely.

Questions about head to knee posture? Ask in the comments!