On and off the mat - Off the mat

 On the mat yoga 

Physically -  Connecting with your body and breath.  Exploring the range of movement within my joints and muscles. Noticing if there are restrictions within the movement or if the movement is free and unhindered. For my personal practice and how I teach I have become more interested in freedom of sustainable movement than in the end range of advanced poses. 

Mentally - Becoming so focused on the movement and the sensation feedback from the body that you don't have to time think about anything else. This is very relaxing for the mind. Focusing on the movement acts as a form of meditation. No time for over thinking.

Emotionally - The movement of the body can move emotions and this is a good thing. Trapped emotions can make us feel heavy and restricted.  The release of emotion on the yoga mat is usually very subtle and passes as freely as the movement of the body. Most of the time we would hardly notice the release and would just feel different after practice.

On the mat yoga can bring us to a place of calmness that helps us function better in our day to day life of the mat. 

Off the mat yoga  - self exploration and self development. 

This can come in many forms, from how we move, what we read, watch, listen to, buy, eat/drink and who with and how we choose to spend our time. 

All of this should come from a place of honouring who you truly are. 

Physically - Movement any movement that you enjoy from walking to extreme sports. Movement is the key to life. 

Mentally - Becoming focused on the life we want and what we have to do to achieve or maintain that life.  Knowing what you want can be the first and often the most difficult step to achieving this. Knowing what you want and or don't want can be a very deep inward but rewarding journey. 

Emotionally - Understanding what things can trigger you into emotional unrest and dealing with them so they can not have any control of the decisions you make. 

The Chimp Pardox by Prof Steve Peters is a great book for explaining the complexities of the mental and emotional side of choices and decisions.  

Off the mat yoga can bring us to a place of deep understanding of you we truly are. 

Sarsha 

 

  

Go Barefoot - Body

Textures a sensory workout for your feet.

Go barefoot give your feet a chance to talk to you. 

Our feet are amazing yet we often lock them up in shoes that limit their capacity to move and give us feedback. 

Shoes often restrict the movement of the 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. The joints in our feet can become tight and stiff when trapped in shoes. Our feet are designed to move, flex and be supple. Along with that restriction is also sensory deprivation.  Our feet are our connection to the ground, if we can't feel the ground beneath us, we can't connect to our feet. Feeling what is beneath us through our feet connects us to our feet. If we can't connect to our feet this can have a huge impact on how we move in general and how we balance. 

Barefoot not only gives out feet chance to move freely but if we incorporate moving over different textures this helps us connect to the sensations through our feet - it can help to wake up the feet and it can maintain that awake-ness. Understanding our feet can help with moving better and feeling better. 

The feet are a small part of the whole, Sometimes it's the smallest changes can make the biggest difference. Sometimes simply taking your shoes off and having a walk barefoot can be a small step to bigger things. 

I found that the more often I go barefoot, the more I feel the restriction of certain shoes. My feet now ask for feet shaped shoes. There are some great barefoot shoes out there just google barefoot shoes. (Always measure your feet for shoes when standing).  But nothing out weighs natural "actual" barefoot - when and where  safely possible. I particularly like the feel of sand on my feet.

How many different textures are there in your home? 

The black mat in the above picture is the backside of a 

play mat I turned it over for different texture.  

Sarsha

  

Doubt but do it anyway! - Off the mat

 “I doubt I'll be able to do yoga because I'm not flexible enough”

 Well guess what I was not flexible when I started yoga. The flexibility is a side effect of moving your body mindfully through safe yet effective ranges of movement. 

“I doubt I'll be able to get the breathing right” 

Do not worry everybody thinks that. I often don't get the perfect connection between body and breath but it ain't that bigger deal. It's called yoga practice for a reason because practice is what we are doing and sometimes it's not perfect and that's ok.

“I doubt I'll be able to stop my monkey mind” 

You don't have to stop it, but it's amazing how by giving yourself something else to concentrate on like movement and breathing that the monkeys all fall asleep anyway.

Find Ben Edwards
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Doubt, doubt, doubt everywhere! 

Doubt is said to be the biggest slayer of dreams!

There is nothing wrong with doubt, just don't let it stop you. 

Let if be your friend, let it guide you, 

let it be an energy you can redirect into great things. 

Namaste

Sarsha